(11 January)Tom stoppard's play, THE REAL THING will open at The Old Vic in April starring TOBY STEPHENS. The play, first seen in 1982 will be directed by Anna Mackmin and previews from 10th April.

The Real Thing is now booking until 5 June 2010. More details...

(11 January)The London production at the Victoria Palace has now opened a new booking period with bookings being taken until the 18th Dec 2010.  The show remains one of the best and most popular musicals in the West End, and now, also on Broadway where it won an amazing 10 TONY awards earlier this year.
 
Adapted from the popular British film, Billy Elliot the Musical is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one young boy's dream in a gripping tale of triumph over adversity.
This original story captured the hearts and minds of the world when the movie was released in October 2000. Nominated for 3 Oscar's and 13 Bafta awards this poignant film broke box office records across the world.

Please Note: Billy Elliot, the musical, is based on the inspirational film of the same name. Like the film, Billy Elliot, the musical, contains strong language and some scenes of confrontation between policemen and miners. As a rule of thumb, when booking tickets for parties including children, please consider the film version of Billy Elliot (rated 15) and whether this would be suitable for all members of your party. The producers recommended minimum age is eight.
 
Upper/Grand Circle seating: When purchasing seats in the Upper/Grand Circle, a full view of the stage or the action cannot be guaranteed from every seat. You may be required to lean forward during the production. This particularly applies to row's A and B which has a safety rail in view. You will have to lean forward throughout the performance if sitting on row's A and B.
 
Please note that according to the theatre's policy children under 16 year old, not accompanied by an adult, will not be allowed into Victoria Palace theatre.

Billy Elliot is now booking until 18 December 2010. More details...

(30 November)For the first time ever, Shakespeare's Globe will be opening its doors over the festive season with a Christmas show.

Following their Shakespeare Party in 2008, the acclaimed and totally unique Footsbarn Theatre Company return to the Globe with their Christmas Cracker, a family feast of carnival, comedy and Christmas cheer.

What's in the cracker?

Your gift is a midwinter celebration of London's rich, bawdy, pagan past. Drawing from festive traditions, and inspired by the complete works of Shakespeare.
Will there be party hats?

Enough for everyone, including the three headed Shakespeare who recites poetry and discovers words that have never even been heard, for the family of musical tightrope walkers, for Bottom and for King Lear (or are they the same?), and for the Lord of Misrule who ensures that all the laws are broken in his hedonistic realm.
And jokes?

Footsbarns Christmas Cracker is now booking until 3rd January 2010. More details...

(27 November)The hit musical "DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS" previously seen at The Savoy Theatre this summer, has announced it is to re-open at The Playhouse Theatre from the 6th January to the 29th May 2010.  

Dreamboats and Petticoats is now booking until 29th May 2010. More details...

(27 November) A Daughter's A Daughter was penned under the pseudonym of "Mary Westmacott", which Agatha Christie used for a series of six romantic novels published between 1930 and 1956. Quite different from any of Christie's previous work for the stage it is, in many respects, a far more "personal" play than anything else she wrote.

A Daughters A Daughter is now booking until 9th January 2010. More details...

(25 November )Our roving reporter has his ear to the ground (and to some producers doors!) and can report on some new and upcoming shows for the West End, some of which will definately happen, and some are in the planning stages. Rest assured, Albemarle will have them on sale at the earliest opportunity, so you will never be far away from getting great seats from the start! Keep watching the ALBEMARLE SHOW NEWS for updates.

Just back from New York for the opening of the revival of the hit musical DREAMGIRLS
at the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem where it is playing a limited season until mid December before going on a US tour. The show is expected to open in London in 2011.The success of the movie earlier this year has opened up a whole new life for the show originally seen on Broadway in December 1981. Some years ago there were plans by a London producer in conjunction with American producers to open the musical at The Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End but this fell through. 2011 can't come quick enough for this wonderful show!
    
THE WIZARD OF OZ. A new BBC tv reality show will choose Dorothy & Toto in 2010. Andrew Lloyd Webber will be looking for the new stars of the show, in the same way as he did with BBC tv's "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" which shot Connie Fisher to fame in the lead role of Maria in the London Palladium production of "The Sound of Music", and "I'd do Anything" which found it's Nancy in "Oliver" at Drury Lane and brought Jodie Prenger to the public eye, and "Any Dream Will Do" which found it's Joseph in Lee Mead in "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat". No theatre has been announced yet for THE WIZARD OF OZ.

(24 November )The Royal Court dominated this year's Evening Standard theatre awards shortlist, with 11 of its productions or performers going head to head in major categories including best play, best director and best actor. Going head to head for Best Play at the awards held at the Royal Opera House on the 23rd November,  were two of it's recent massive successes, ENRON and JERUSALEM, both of which will re-open in the West End in January. As well as JERUSALEM winning best play, Mark Rylance also won best actor for his role in the play at the Royal Court which he will once again perform at the Apollo Theatre.

Now you can see both plays before we sell out, so buy your tickets NOW!

JERUSALEM opens at The Apollo Theatre 28th January - 24th April 2010.
 
Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Jez Butterworth's new play is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land. Starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem transfers to the West End from January 2010
following a sell-out run at the Royal Court Theatre.
 
 Jerusalem is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land. On St George's Day, the morning of the local county fair, Johnny Byron, local waster and modern day Pied Piper is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his children want their dad to take them to the fair, Troy Whitworth wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew of mates want his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.
Please note: Age Limit - 14+ guidance

ENRON opens at the Noel Coward Theatre 16th January - 18th May 2010.
One of the most infamous scandals in financial history becomes a theatrical epic.
Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, it follows a group of flawed men and women in a narrative of greed and loss which reviews the tumultuous 1990s and casts a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world finds itself in 2009.

Inspired by real life and using music, movement and video, ENRON will be directed by Headlong Theatre's Artistic Director Rupert Goold in his Royal Court directorial debut. His recent credits include the award-winning Macbeth and Six Characters in Search of an Author and King Lear, No Man's Land and Oliver!

(20 November )The current Broadway production of HAIR will transfer to London's Gielgud theatre next spring with the entire original Broadway cast. This will be the first time in West End history that an entire Broadway cast has transferred to London.

James Rado and Gerome Ragni's 1967 rock musical centres on a group of hippies who champion peace, love and freedom against the backdrop of the Vietnam war draft during the 1960s. The story is set to Galt MacDermot's score which features the famous songs Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine and Let The Sunshine In, as well as the title track.

After premiering off-Broadway in 1967, the musical transferred to the Great White Way and won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Musical. The show opened in London in 1968 at The Shaftesbry Theatre with a cast including Elaine Paige, Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry and Paul Nicholas and ran until 1973.

The Public Theater's current production opened on Broadway in March this year and won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The original cast, who will make history in becoming the first entire original Broadway cast to transfer to the West End, includes Gavin Creel, who was previously seen in London as Bert in Mary Poppins.

British producer Cameron Mackintosh, who brings the show to the Gielgud theatre, commented: "Little did I think when I was the production runner on the original London production of Hair in 1968 that 41 years later I would be bringing the Public Theater's acclaimed new production back to London complete with its extraordinary Broadway cast. Hair has always been far more than a musical. It's a celebration of life, love and freedom. When it originally opened, my friends who were never interested in the theatre flocked to see it because it mirrored their own sentiments, as peace, love and anti-war feelings were being expressed all over the world. Its success was not just theatrical but social. So I was amazed all these years later to find myself swept away again by the joyous electric exuberance and commitment of the current Broadway cast. The rejection of the war in Vietnam has now morphed into the world’s concern at what is happening in Afghanistan. A period musical is once again as contemporary as today’s headlines and I’m very proud to help bring this production with its wonderful company into one of my theatres."

Hair is now booking until 8th January 2011. More details...

(20 November )The West End's favourite felonious fishnet-clad musical, CHICAGO celebrated it's 5,000 London performance on its 12th London birthday on the 18th November 2009.

Chicago is now booking until 30th October 2010. More details...

(19 November )

Such is the demand for this amazing show, Cirque Du Soleil have added extra performances and is now booking until the 13th February 2010.
 
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - "VAREKAI" RETURNS TO THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Wednesday 6 January - Sunday 13th February 2010
 
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW FOLLOWING LAST YEAR'S SELL OUT SEASON
 
Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special return visit to the Royal Albert Hall with Varekai in January 2010.

In a dream forest, acrobatics and beauty meet.

Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.

From the sky falls a solitary young man and the story of Varekai begins. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired incantation to life rediscovered.

(14 November ) ALL MY SONS - the first great success of Arthur Miller's supremely influential career - is a compelling story of love, guilt and the corrupting power of greed.

Joe Keller (David Suchet) is alleged to have supplied World War II fighter planes with defective engines, leading to the deaths of innocent pilots - a crime for which his business partner took the fall. One of Keller's sons, himself a pilot, is thought to have been killed in action. But his mother (Zoe Wanamaker) can't accept his death and equally, can't accept that her dead son's fiancée has transferred her affections to her other son. The confrontations that ensue lead to the uncovering of a shameful family secret...

All My Sons is now booking until 11th September 2010. More details...

(14 November ) Kim Cattrall and Matthew Macfadyen are to star in a new Richard Eyre-directed production of Noel Coward's Private Lives at The Vaudeville Theatre from 24 February to 1 May 2010. 

Coward's comedy finds Cattrall and Macfadyen playing former spouses who have been divorced from each other for five years. When fate finds them both honeymooning in the South of France in adjoining hotel rooms, their insatiable emotions are rekindled and they dive headlong into love and lust without a care for scandal, new partners or memories of why their marriage failed in the first place.

Cattrall, who famously plays Samantha in hit US TV and film franchise Sex And The City, last appeared on the London stage in 2006 when she starred in The Cryptogram at the Donmar Warehouse. She had made her West End debut a year earlier in the Peter Hall-directed Whose Life Is It Anyway? A native of Liverpool who has spent most of her professional acting career on the other side of the Atlantic, Cattrall's other screen credits include Porky's, Mannequin, Big Trouble In Little China and the upcoming Roman Polanski thriller The Ghost.

Macfadyen's last London outing came in 2007's The Pain And The Itch at the Royal Court, having previously played Prince Hal in the National Theatre's production of Henry IV. A regular screen face, Macfadyen played Mr Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride And Prejudice, opposite Keira Knightley, who is soon to be seen on the London stage in The Misanthrope. Macfadyen's other credits include hit spy drama Spooks, Dickens adaptation Little Dorrit and the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed film Robin Hood, in which he plays the Sheriff of Nottingham

Private Lives is now booking until 1st May 2010. More details...

(12 November )

WICKED which tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, has been named "Best Family Fun" at the BT Visit London People's Choice Awards 2009.

The annual People's Choice Awards gave the public the chance to vote for their top things to see and do in the capital. Other nominees in the Evening Standard sponsored "Best Family Fun" category included the London Eye, ZSL London Zoo and the Science Museum. The "BT Visit London Awards" were announced on the 5th November and in the category of "The Peoples choice" by the London Evening Standard's Best Family Fun, several sure fire winners were nominated including
THE LONDON EYE, LONDON ZOO and THE SCIENCE MUSEUM.

However, the true winner was the hit west end musical
WICKED

WICKED tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely friendship between two girls who first meet as Sorcery Students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular
Glinda and a misunderstood green girl, Elphaba.

Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as
 Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

(12 November ) "LA CAGE AUX FOLLES" has announced it's last performance which will be on the 2nd January 2010 at London's Playhouse Theatre.

La Cage Aux Follies is now booking until 2nd January 2010. More details...

(11 November ) At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France .  He's soon caught up in enemy fire and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone and in no man's land.  But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.

War Horse is now booking until 23rd October 2010. More details...

(11 November ) Following its successful run at the Novello Theatre, booking has now opened for JB Priestley's classic 1946 thriller "AN INSPECTOR CALLS" which will transfer to Wyndham's Theatre on the 3rd Dec 2009, initially booking through to 20th March 2010.

This revival by Stephen Daldry is a reworking of Priestley's famous play which Daldry first produced at the National Theatre a decade ago. It had subsequent seasons at the Aldwych Theatre, then on Broadway before it returned to the West End and ran at the Garrick Theatre for nearly six years from - October 1995 to April 2001 - before taking a summer break and then re-opening in September 2001 at the Playhouse Theatre, where it closed in May 2002.  Daldry’s production has now clocked up over 4,000 performances worldwide to date and reportedly holds the record as the longest running play revival in history.

An Inspector Calls is now booking until 20th March 2010. More details...

(10 November )

Two of this years nominations for best play of the year in the Evening Standard drama awards are ENRON and JERUSALEM which both recently played to sell out audiences at London's Royal Court Theatre.

Now YOU can see what all the fuss is about as both plays
 are transferring to the West End in January.

ENRON opens at the Noel Coward Theatre on the 16th January 2010.

One of the most infamous scandals in financial history becomes a theatrical epic. Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, it follows a group of flawed men and women in a narrative of greed and loss which reviews the tumultuous 1990s and casts a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world finds itself in 2009.

Based on real life and using music, movement and video, ENRON will be directed by Headlong Theatre's Artistic Director Rupert Goold in his Royal Court directorial debut. His recent credits include the award-winning Macbeth and Six Characters in Search of an Author and King Lear, No Man's Land and Oliver!

Lucy Prebble won the George Devine Award and the Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright for her debut play The Sugar Syndrome at the Royal Court in 2004

 JERUSALEM opens at the Apollo Theatre on the 28th January 2010.

'FANTASTIC, SHOCKING & FRESH'     'BOLD, EBULLIENT AND HILARIOUS'
Daily Mail                                                                  The Times

Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Jez Butterworth's new play is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land.
 Starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook

 'THIS ONE YOU HAVE TO SEE'
The Indpendent
Jerusalem is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land. On St George's Day, the morning of the local county fair, Johnny Byron, local waster and modern day Pied Piper is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his children want their dad to take them to the fair, Troy Whitworth wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew of mates want his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.
Please note: Age Limit - 14+ guidance

(6 November)

Opens at The Duke of York's Theatre on the 19th December until 27th February.
 
Everyone is looking for love - some in impossible places. Some mourn the love they have lost. Some long for love they are refused. In Illyria love aches and madness rules.

Twelfth Night is now booking until 27th February 2010. More details...

(6 November ) The mega hit musical "WE WILL ROCK YOU" featuring over 30 of rock group Queen's hits has opened yet another new booking period at The Dominion theatre until 23 October 2010. The show originally opened at The Dominion in May 2002 and has been playing to huge audiences since then.

"THRILLER - LIVE" is now on sale for performances until the 9th May 2010 at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.  "THRILLER - LIVE" is a spectacular, high octane show celebrating the career of the world’s undisputed King of Pop – Michael Jackson, and the Jackson 5. Fully backed by Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK, THRILLER LIVE marks the first Jackson’s dedicated live theatrical experience ever!

(5 November ) A new booking period for the hit musical "Avenue Q" has now opened with bookings being taken until the 20th March 2010.

Avenue Q continues the contagious, fun-filled, frolic-fueled adventure that has captured the hearts of theatre-goers everywhere.  

Join the residents of Avenue Q in their new home at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Described as "Pant Wettingly Funny", Avenue Q ingeniously combines a cast of humans and puppets who tackle subjects such as dating, racism, internet porn, being gay and finding your purpose in life.  Avenue Q is very much the perfect musical for our time.

Avenue Q is now booking until 20th March 2010. More details...

(28 October) The hit American musical "THE FULL MONTY" returns to London for a limited season at THE NEW PLAYERS THEATRE 2nd DEC - 2nd JAN 2010.
 
Seeing how much their wives enjoy watching male strippers during their "Girls' Night Out," unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo , New York come up with a bold way to make some quick cash. In the process they find renewed self-esteem, the importance of friendship and the ability to have fun.

As the guys work through their fears, self-consciousness, feelings of worthlessness and anxieties (over everything from being overweight to child custody, bigotry to being gay), they come to discover that not only are they stronger as a group, but that the strength they find in each other gives them the individual courage to face their demons and overcome them.
 

Full Monty is now booking until 2nd January 2010. More details...

(28 October) DAISY PULLS IT OFF is about the attempts of super achiever Daisy Meredith to submerge her poor elementary school background and find acceptance in the snobby confines of Grangewood School for Young Ladies. Our plucky heroine undergoes a num­ber of tribulations (including possible expulsion) before, by being honourable and straight in all things, all comes right in the end with Daisy saving the lives of sneaky Monica and toady Sybil - her arch enemies - discovering the treasure of Grangewood and scoring the winning goal at hockey! An evening capturing the uncomplicated innocence of a world gone by...

Daisy Pulls It Off is now booking until 6th February 2010. More details...

(26 October) This big scary monster is back in London's West End again this Christmas for the third year running in its new home at the beautiful Apollo Theatre.

Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep dark wood in this magical, musical adaptation of the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. ('A modern classic' Observer)

Mouse can scare hungry animals away with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo, but what happens when he comes face to face with the very creature he imagined?

Songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged three and up, and their adults...
Let your imagination run wild!

'Monstrous fun!' Daily Mail
'Irresistibly charming' The Times
"Tall Stories have transformed a well loved story into an exuberant funny show" - Time Out Critics Choice

The Grufalo is now booking until 10th January 2010. More details...

(23 October) Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special return visit to the Royal Albert Hall with Varekai in January 2010.

In a dream forest, acrobatics and beauty meet.

Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.

From the sky falls a solitary young man and the story of Varekai begins. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired incantation to life rediscovered.

Varekai is now booking until 24th January 2010. More details...

(23 October) JULIE GOODYEAR will make her London and legit stage debut in the smash-hit West End play CALENDAR GIRLS starring as 'Cora - Miss July'.  A household name, Julie became a national treasure after starring as 'Bet Lynch' in Coronation Street  for 25 years.  Kelly Brook will bare all as 'Celia - Miss September'.  Janie Dee, triple 'Best Actress' award-winner for Alan Ayckbourn's Comic Potential, will play 'Annie - Miss February'".  Helen Lederer, one of Britian's best-known comediennes, will play 'Marie', leader of the Yorkshire branch of the WI.  Debbie Chazen, best-known as a regular in Doctor Who and as the star of TittyTittyBangBang on BBC3, will play 'Ruth'.  Arabella Weir, star of  The Fast Show and author of international best-seller Does My Bum Look Big in This?, will play 'Chris - Miss October'. Jan Leeming will play 'Lady Cravenshire'.  Rob James Collier, multi award-winner for 'Sexiest Male' as 'Liam Connor' in Coronation Street, will make his London stage debut as the photographer 'Lawrence'.

Calendar Girls is now booking until 9th January 2010. More details...

(22 October)

Top price seats for The Misanthrope with champagne
 and canapes at Mint Leaf Restaurant

Start your evening in style by enjoying a glass of champagne in the bar at Mint Leaf Restaurant accompanied by
a generous selection of canapes.

Stroll over to The Comedy Theatre where you will have fantastic seats for this star studded production
of The Misanthrope.

All for just £85 per person.

Occasionally, Mint Leaf Restaurant may be closed to the public due to a private hire function. In this instance, your voucher will still be redeemable for up to a month after The Misanthrope closes and may be used at any time from 5.30pm. We will list any unavailable dates here as soon as we have them.

Damian Lewis leads an outstanding ensemble with Tara Fitzgerald, Keira Knightley, Dominic Rowan and Tim McMullan in Martin Crimp's blistering version of Moliere's greatest comedy, The Misanthrope. Directed by Thea Sharrock, the play opens at the Comedy Theatre on 17 December 2009 with previews from 7 December 2009 .
 
Transported from 17th century Paris to modern-day London , Alceste (Damian Lewis) is a famous British playwright disillusioned and angry with the hypocrisy, shallowness and vanity of the contemporary world. Vowing to reject society, Alceste's plans are derailed when he falls madly in love with Jennifer (Keira Knightley). An ambitious American film star and darling of the social scene, she may prove to be his biggest challenge yet.
 
Damian Lewis made his name in Steven Spielberg's award-winning mini series Band Of Brothers.  He has since carved out a prolific career in film, television and theatre most recently appearing on stage in Pillars of the Community (National Theatre) and Five Gold Rings (Almeida) and on screen in the hugely popular NBC series Life.  His film credits include Dreamcatcher, An Unfinished Life, The Escapist, Chromophobia and Stormbreaker and his television work includes the remake of The Forsythe Saga and Confessions of a Diary Secretary.
 
Tara Fitzgerald's credits span television, film and theatre.  Currently best known to television audiences for her role as Dr Eve Lockhart in the BBC's hugely popular drama series Waking The Dead, she has also starred in Jane Eyre, The Virgin Queen, Miss Marple – Body In The Library, Rose and Maloney and the soon to be screened U Be Dead.  Her film credits include Five Children And It, I Capture The Castle, The Lion's Mouth, Dark Blue World, Rancid Aluminum and Brassed Off.  On stage she has appeared in A Doll's House (Donmar), And Then There Were None (Gielgud), A Doll's House (national tour), A Streetcar Named Desire (Bristol Old Vic) and Hamlet (Almeida).
 
Keira Knightley has established herself as one of the most talented and versatile screen actresses of her generation.  Having first come to the audience's attention in the surprise film hit Bend It Like Beckham she has gone on to star in Joe Wright’s award-winning film Atonement with James McAvoy, The Duchess, The Edge Of Love with Sienna Miller, Domino, The Jacket, Pride And Prejudice and as the feisty Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  She has recently completed filming on the movies Never Let Me Go and the highly anticipated London Boulevard both due for release later this year. Her television credits include the critically acclaimed remake of Doctor Zhivago, Oliver and Coming Home.
 
Dominic Rowan has worked extensively in theatre including A Voyage Around My Father (Donmar/West End), Happy Now? (National), As You Like It (Globe), A Spanish Tragedy (Arcola), Way To Heaven ( Royal Court ) and Iphegina At Aulis (National).  His television credits include Catwalk Dogs with Kris Marshall, Baby Boom, Lynda La Plante's Trial & Retribution, The Family Man with Trevor Eve and Hearts And Bones.

The Misanthrope is now booking until 13 March 2010. More details...

(22 October) There has never been a better time than now to visit the world famous Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Despite what some may think, Opera and Ballet is not just fot the elitist. Readers of The Sun newspaper recently attended performances of the opera "Carmen" and the ballet "Mayerling" which were made possible only through the generous support of The Helen Hamlyn Trust, in memory of the late Paul Hamlyn. So why not splash out, dress up and have an incredibly grand evening at this world famous venue.

A new booking period covering the following productions has just opened, however, tickets are selling fast, so BOOK NOW!
 
THE ROYAL BALLET
   Les Patineurs / Tales of Beatrix Potter
 Romeo and Juliet
 Watkins Mixed Bill
 
THE ROYAL OPERA
  Der Rosenkavalier
La Boheme
The Rakes Progress
Cosi Fan Tutte
The Gambler

Tamerlano

(17 October) "Morecambe" is the story of how a young lad from Lancashire with a talent for making people laugh, who became a professional comedian, and took on the world.

Amazing performer Bob Golding plays Eric, who takes you on a journey of Eric's whole life story from childhood to stardom. He's incredible - as he has to play every single part himself: Eric's mum and dad, his wife, his co-stars, his agents and managers... Aside from being a dead ringer for Eric, he's a brilliant mimic - you should see his Bruce Forsyth! - he's also a great comedian, dancer, and musician ... a real all rounder, just like Eric Morecambe himself.

 

Morcambe is now booking until 17th January 2010. More details...

(17 October) When Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage first opened at the Aldwych Theatre in London , it broke all box office records by reaching advance ticket sales of 11million pounds, and on Monday 19 October the show will be celebrating its third birthday! Dirty Dancing in London has been enjoyed by over 1 million people since its Gala opening in October 2006 and continues to receive standing ovations on a nightly basis.

Tickets are now available for performances up until 23 October 2010 - taking Dirty Dancing right up to its fourth birthday! This means an additional 250,000 seats will be available to catch possibly the greatest coming of age love story in popular culture live onstage, with stellar performances from former Royal Ballet star Martin Harvey as the iconic 'Johnny Castle' and former Matthew Bourne principal dancer Hannah Vassallo as the idealistic 'Frances Baby Houseman', as well as Nadia Coote who created the role of 'Penny' in the West End , William Tapley as 'Jake Houseman' and the rest of the extraordinary talented cast and dance ensemble.

Dirty Dancing is now booking until 23rd of October 2010. More details...

Making his West End debut, Noel will star in the iconic role of ‘Danny’ and his sweetheart ‘Sandy’ will be played by Emma Stephens (Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever), as they follow in the footsteps of screen idols John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John who famously played the roles in the hit 1978 movie.

Noel recently danced back into the limelight and thrilled audiences nationwide with the hugely successful tour of Flashdance: The Musical. He is set to leave West End audiences hopelessly devoted to his charms and jiving in the aisles, when he rock’n’rolls into Grease this November.

Noel joins the current class of Rydell High, which includes Stuart Ramsay (‘Kenickie’), Natalie Langston (‘Rizzo’), Michael Melmoe (‘Roger’), Laura Wilson (‘Jan’), Benjamin Ibbott (‘Doody’), Faye Brookes (‘Frenchy’), Bennett Andrews (‘Sonny’), Robyn Mellor (Marty’), Jamie Tyler (‘Eugene’), Lizzi Franklin (‘Patty’), Jason Capewell (‘Vince/Teen Angel), Marie Daly ‘(Miss Lynch’) and Kristina Macmillan (‘Cha Cha’), with other parts played by the ensemble.
Grease is now booking until 4th of September 2010. More details...

(8 October)

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT as we anticipate a huge demand for this brand new musical. Albemarle have an allocaton of seats but these will sell very fast, so contact us NOW. This is the most eagerly awaited show for a long time and Andrew Lloyd Webber announced today at 11am to a packed invited audience at Her Majesty's Theatre, the home of "Phantom of the Opera", that tickets are NOW ON SALE. Be the first in the queue to see what theatre insiders are calling Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest score since the mega success of "Phantom of the Opera".

INITIAL BOOKING PERIOD 20th FEBRUARY 2010 - 23rd OCTOBER 2010
 
THE STORY
 
The principal characters of The Phantom of the Opera continue their stories in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES.
 
Ten years after the mysterious disappearance of The Phantom from the Paris Opera House, Christine Daaé accepts an offer to come to America and perform at New York’s fabulous new playground of the world – Coney Island.
 
Christine arrives in New York with her husband Raoul and their son Gustave.  She soon discovers the identity of the anonymous impresario who has lured her from France to sing.
 
LOVE NEVER DIES is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue… in which music and memory can play cruel
tricks… and The Phantom sets out to prove that, indeed, LOVE NEVER DIES

Love Never Dies is currently booking until 23 October 2010. More details...

(28 September)

The hit play "ENRON" currently playing at the Royal Court Theatre
until the 7th Nov 2009 is completely SOLD OUT.
 
However, the play will now transfer to The Noel Coward Theatre, St. Martin's Lane,
on 16th January 2010 for a limited season until 8th May 2010. 
 
BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW BEFORE THIS NEW SEASON IS ALSO SOLD OUT

The world premiere production of Lucy Prebble’s celebrated new play ENRON, which sold-out its entire run at the Minerva Theatre Chichester and has sold all 21,800 tickets before opening  its six-week run at the Royal Court Theatre, will transfer to the Noel Coward Theatre on Saturday 16 January 2010. Rupert Goold has directed ‘the most anticipated transfer of the year’. Sunday Times
Based on real-life events and using music, dance and video, ENRON explores one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, reviewing the tumultuous 1990s and casting a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world currently finds itself.

Enron is currently booking until 8 May 2010. More details...

(28 September)

"JERUSALEM" Starring Mark Rylance is to open at the Apollo Theare, Shaftesbury Avenue on the 28th Jan 2010 for a limited season until 24th April 2010.
 
'JERUSALEM" was recently at the Royal Court Theatre, where it sold out for every performance, so book you tickets now while they are still available!

Jerusalem is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land. On St George’s Day, the morning of the local county fair, Johnny Byron, local waster and modern day Pied Piper is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his children want their dad to take them to the fair, Troy Whitworth wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew of mates want his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.

Please note: Age Limit - 14+ guidance

Jerusalem is currently booking until 24 April 2010. More details...

(16 September) Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce that award-winning actor Griff Rhys Jones will be the next star after Omid Djalili to play ‘Fagin’ in the triumphant new production of Lionel Bart’s smash hit musical OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from Monday 14 December 2009 until June 2010. 
 
Cameron Mackintosh said “I’ve wanted to work with Griff for years so I’m delighted that the marvellous role of ‘Fagin’ has tempted him back to the stage this Christmas.  Griff is an actor with an amazing array of successful talents, all of which will undoubtedly be poured into his unique and entertaining interpretation of one of Dickens’ most famous and beloved creations.  I can’t wait!”
 
Griff is truly one of Britain ’s most loved, versatile and prolific performers.  Propelled to stardom in “Not The Nine O’Clock News” and “Alas Smith and Jones”, he won a double Olivier Award for his roles in “Charley’s Aunt” and “An Absolute Turkey”, starred in “Front Page” at the Donmar Warehouse and was an unforgettable Toad in The National Theatre’s “Wind In The Willows”.  On TV he did three acclaimed series of “Three Men In A Boat”, (and will shortly doing a fourth), urged the British public to vote for saving marvellous British buildings in “Restoration” and is currently enjoying huge success on BBC1’s “Rivers With Griff Rhys Jones”.    He was last seen on stage in 2001 in “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” as part of the Covent Garden Festival.  As a producer, he and Mel Smith set up one of Britain ’s most successful productions companies, Talkback Productions.  He was almost single-handedly responsible for the wonderful restoration of the Hackney Empire.
 

Olivier is currently booking until 26 February 2011. More details...

(17 October) "Morecambe" is the story of how a young lad from Lancashire with a talent for making people laugh, who became a professional comedian, and took on the world.

Amazing performer Bob Golding plays Eric, who takes you on a journey of Eric's whole life story from childhood to stardom. He's incredible - as he has to play every single part himself: Eric's mum and dad, his wife, his co-stars, his agents and managers... Aside from being a dead ringer for Eric, he's a brilliant mimic - you should see his Bruce Forsyth! - he's also a great comedian, dancer, and musician ... a real all rounder, just like Eric Morecambe himself.

 

Morcambe is now booking until 17th January 2010. More details...

(15 September) This Christmas the multi award-winning hit returns to the theatre where it all began for a strictly limited run from the 10th December to the 24th January 2010.

When it premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 1995, Matthew Bourne's triumphant modern re-interpretation of Swan Lake turned tradition upside down, taking the dance world by storm.

Now firmly crowned as a modern-day classic, this iconic production is perhaps best-known for replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble. Matthew Bourne blends dance, humour and spectacle with extravagant, award-winning designs by Lez Brotherston, to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times.

Collecting over 30 international theatre awards including three Tonys, Swan Lake has been acclaimed as a landmark achievement on the international stage. It has become the longest running ballet in the West End and on Broadway and enjoyed four hugely successful tours in the UK and thrilled audiences all over the world
 

Matthew Bournes Swan lake is currently booking until 24 January 2010. More details...

(15 September) Now a major fixture in the festive calendar, the stage version of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved book continues to delight children as it returns to the Peacock Theatre this Christmas from the 2nd December to the 10th January 2010. For a complete list of the many performances of this wonderful show, please see below.
When a young boy's snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve, the two set off on a night-time quest for adventure. On their travels, they meet dancing penguins, reindeer and, of course, Father Christmas.

Watch spellbound as the Snowman literally flies through the night sky above you, before escaping the clutches of the evil Jack Frost to return home for Christmas morning.

Suitable for all children aged two and upwards, Birmingham Repertory's production is a captivating mix of dance, stagecraft and music. Featuring Howard Blake's beautiful Walking in the Air, performed by a live orchestra, choreographed by Robert North and directed by Bill Alexander, this is the perfect Christmas treat for all the family.

Performance times

The Snowman is currently booking until 10 January 2010. More details...

(15 September) The incredibly successful hip-hop dance show seen last year at The Novello Theatre will return for the Christmas season at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on The South Bank (next to the Royal Festival Hall). This will be a strictly limited season from the 16th December until the 10th January 2010.
 
"INTO THE HOODS" is a hip-hop version of Steven Sondheim's musical, Into The Woods, reworked to show two children lost in the ‘hood’ and is performed by a cast of 19 adults and nine children. Characters include singer Lil Red, two-timing rapper Prince, Rap-en-Zel and the gold trainer-wearing Spinderella.
 
Following on the success of the winners of this years "Britains Got Talent" which saw street dance group Diversity walk away with the top prize of appearing before Her Majesty The Queen in the 2009 Royal Variety Performance, and fellow dance group Flawless in the runners up section, "INTO THE HOODS" will doubtless be a hit once again as street dance is gripping the nation. The show is once again presented by dance company ZooNation and features pre-recorded music from Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Prince, Basement Jaxx and others.
 

Into the Hoods is currently booking until 10 January 2010. More details...

(14 September) After much speculation and no official announcement until now, Andrew Lloyd Webber has finally spoken and issued the following press release in the guise of The Phantom himself;
 
“Ladies and Gentlemen, At 11 o’clock on the eighth day of October 2009, I will be making an announcement of global importance. Should my commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. Amor Numquam Moritur. Your Obedient Servant, The Phantom”
 
On the 8th October it is expected that full details will be made of the new musical including booking dates and venue, though this is highly likely to be The Adelphi Theatre.
 
WATCH THE ALBEMARLE SHOW NEWS FOR FURTHER DETAILS AS AND WHEN THEY ARE ANNOUNCED AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS WE EXPECT A HUGE HIT ALL OVER AGAIN!
 
 "LOVE NEVER DIES"  will be set in 1907, ten years after the conclusion of the original story. The Phantom has escaped to New York with Madame and Meg Giry and found success in Coney Island as a magician and entertainer. When he builds a new opera house, he persuades his old ingenue Christine Daae, now a huge star and married to her old flame Raoul, to sing for him once more...
 

(14 September) The hilarity of Hollywood hypocrisy and what self-deception does to people in the shallow and superficial world of show business is satirized in THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED.
Set in New York,  THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED is a four-hander centring on Mitchell (Rupert Friend), a Hollywood actor who, out of loneliness and boredom at his ailing career, decides to call a male escort hotline. Alex answers the call and meets him in his hotel room. The two form an unlikely friendship and both get far more out of the evening’s events than either originally planned.

A Tony Award nominated  comedy of manners directed by Jamie Lloyd.

The british film actor and heart-throb, Rupert Friend will make his London stage debut in the UK premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's Tony Award-winning Broadway comedy which also stars Tamsin Greig. For a limited season from the 8th January to 10th April 2010.

The Little Dog Laughed is currently booking until 10 April 2010. More details...

(14 September) "LA CLIQUE" which recently played to sell out audiences and breathed new life into The London Hippodrome before the venue closed to converted into a Casino, has kept its word and is bringing the cult show back to London, this time at The Roundhouse in Camden.
The show opens on 24th November and runs until the 17th January 2010.

The Roundhouse will be the perfect space for "La Clique" because of its circus type circular auditorium. Recommended age 18+

Seating is unreserved within pricing areas. Customers will exchange their tickets for a colour coded wristband upon arrival and are encouraged to arrive early. Doors open half an hour before each show. Seating will also include a FREE programme usually costing £10 each and will be available at the venue only.

“Week in, Week out, still the best show in London by miles” Time Out
Impossible to define and impossible to resist, La Clique is an ever-changing collection of the most outrageous, hilarious, beautiful and downright bizarre acts you will ever see. The show has performed 24-sell out seasons across the globe, with each performance offering audiences a unique, inspirational and unforgettable night in the theatre. Now winner of the 2009 Best Entertainment Oliver Award, La Clique has proved itself to be a seductive, funny, dangerous and above all heart-warming sensation.
“This is probably the greatest mouth-dropping show I've ever seen. I am bringing everyone in the world to this piece of genius. I believe in God now! ” Ruby Wax

La Clique is currently booking until 17 January 2010. More details...

(14 September) The hit musical "Grease" currently starring TV's Dancing On Ice winner for 2009, Ray Quinn, has extended his run as Danny Zuko until 28th November 2009.
 
During this period he will be on holiday from October 5th – 10th (inclusive).

In addition, the producers of the show have announced a further extension and it is now booking up to September 2010.
 

Grease is currently booking until 4 September 2010. More details...

(2 September)

HAIRSRAY at The Shaftesbury Theatre is now booking until 24 Oct 2010 
and the current performance schedule will change in November -
There will be Sunday Matinees at 3pm from the 8th Nov 2009 
 (and no Monday evening performances from the 2nd Nov 2009).
 
Currently starring Brian Conley
 
The new cast will start on the 26th October 2009
Phill Jupitus as "Edna Turnblad" and
Belinda Carlisle as "Velma Von Tussle"
‘The new cast has invigorated the show and made it one of the top "must see" musicals in London . Fun and funny the strong storyline and brilliant characters are brought to like by an energised and talented cast. It's a riot!’
JAMES MAX , LBC 97.3
 
‘Brian Conley’s Edna generated the loudest laughs I’ve heard in any theatre for years!’
PAUL PHEAR, MAGIC 105.4
 
‘The best show on the West End stage’
LBC 97.3
 

Hairspray is currently booking until 24 October 2010. More details...

(2 September)

NOW BOOKING TO 24 OCTOBER 2010

PERFORMANCE TIMES - PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE

Until 10 January 2010
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Tuesday & Saturday at 2.30pm

From 11 January 2010
Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday at 3pm
 

WINNER of 20 Major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL.

JERSEY BOYS, The internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells the remarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands in pop music history.

Discover how four New Jersey boys form the wrong side of the tracks invented their own unique sound, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide. With spectacular performances of all their hits, JERSEY BOYS is the electrifying true life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; the mob, the heartaches, the triumphs and the music.

This sensational production features many of the bands worldwide hits, including: BEGGIN’, CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU, OH WHAT A NIGHT, WALK LIKE A MAN, BYE BYE BABY (BABY GOODBYE), SHERRY, BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY and many more.

JERSEY BOYS has now been seen by over 4 million people worldwide!

Jersey Boys is currently booking until 24 October 2010. More details...

(2 September) CATWALK  is an account of Robyn Peterson's life as a model in Paris in the early seventies.  A world of decadence, brilliant ideas and genius designs, where relentless pain is synonymous with beauty… and beauty is all that matters.  A funny and cautionary tale peeking at life from behind the runway curtain, it's a trip through the aloof and alien world of Haute Couture, munching on baguettes and suffocating on love, drugs and alcohol.

Opens at the Arts Theatre on 4th September for a limited season until Saturday 3rd October 2009.

Catwalk Confidential is currently booking until 3 October 2009. More details...

(1 September) The hit musical "DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS" has announed an extension to its current booking period and will now continue at The Savoy until 31 October 2009.

Dreamboats and Petticoats is currently booking until 31 October 2009. More details...

(1 September) This show just has to be seen to be believed!  The master of quick change will amaze you. Book your tickets now with Albemarle for an incredible night of fun, glamour and camp and opens at the Garrick Theatre for a limited season from 26 October 2009 (previews from 19 October) to 3 January 2010.

Italian cabaret legend and quick-change artist Arturo Brachetti, best known internationally for his award-winning signature piece A Man with a Thousand Faces, will bring his new one-man show to the West End this autumn. Arturo Brachetti - Change, is written and directed by The Right Size’s Sean Foley.

In a display of virtuosic skill, Arturo Brachetti brings over 100 characters to the stage, from James Bond to the Queen via Johnny Rotten, in a series of astonishing quick change impressions. The show also contains magic, illusions, comedy and anecdotes from Brachetti’s illustrious career.

Brachetti’s A Man with a Thousand Faces, created in 1999, has been seen by over 1,250,000 people around the world and has won the Molière Award in Paris and Quebec’s Olivier Award.

Arturo Brachetti - Change is currently booking until 3 January 2010. More details...

(28 August) One of London's biggest successes, Mamma Mia! has opened yet another booking period at The Prince of Wales and is now booking until 26 March 2011.

The musical had its world premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in April 1999 and, after five years, moved to the refurbished Prince of Wales in May 2004. The feature film of the musical, starring Meryl Streep, was released last year which has made the live stage show even more popular.

Mamma Mia is currently booking until 26 March 2011. More details...

(26 August) The hit musical "Avenue Q" has now extended it's run at The Gielgud Theatre and is now booking until Saturday 2nd January 2010.
 

Avenue Q is currently booking until 2 January2010. More details...

(19 August) Samuel Beckett's play "Endgame" is to be revived in the West End at The Duchess Theatre starring MARK RYLANCE who is replacing Richard Briers who has withdrawn from the production.  Rylance will play Hamm in Complicite's new production. Other roles will be taken by Mirian Margoyles as Nell. Adrian Scarborough has also had to withdraw from the role of Clov as he will be busy rehearsing for Alan Bennett's new play at The National. The role of Clov will now be taken by Complicite director Simon McBurney.   The role of Nagg is still to be announced.

Set in a bare, partially underground room, Beckett's 1957 existentialist play finds a wheelchair-bound Hamm passing the time by ordering his servant Clov to move him around, fetch objects and peer out the window for signs of life, while his bin-dwelling parents Nagg and Nell look on.

Endgame is currently booking until 5 December 2009. More details...

(11 August) Samel Beckett's play "Endgame" is to be revived in the West End at The Duchess Theatre starring Richard Briers, who will play Hamm in Complicite's new production. Other roles will be taken by Mirian Margoyles as Nell and for the first six weeks Adrian Scarborough will play Clov. Complicite director Simon McBurney takes over the role from 24 October. The role of Nagg is still to be announced.

Set in a bare, partially underground room, Beckett's 1957 existentialist play finds a wheelchair-bound Hamm passing the time by ordering his servant Clov to move him around, fetch objects and peer out the window for signs of life, while his bin-dwelling parents Nagg and Nell look on.

Endgame is currently booking until 5 December 2009. More details...

(10 August) The classic Charles Dickens story "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" will open at The Arts Theatre on the 11th November 2009, running until Sunday 10th January 2010.

"A Christmas Carol" tells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his encounters with three Christmas ghosts that change his perspectives on life and his relationships with those around him.

A Christmas Carol is currently booking until 10 January 2010. More details...

(10 August) The Willy Russell musical "Blood Brothers" set in Liverpool about twin brothers separated at birth has opened yet another new booking period until 31st July 2010. 

Interestingly of all the long-running musicals currently in London, Blood Brothers is unique in that the current production, which originally opened at the Albery Theatre in 1988, is actually its second incarnation - the original production failed to score a West End success at the Lyric Theatre in 1983 (where it run for six months). The producer Bill Kenwright picked up the rights to the musical in 1987, and a re-vamped Blood Brothers returned to the West End the following year.

Blood Brothers is currently booking now 31 July 2010. More details...

Written by multi-award winning playwright Jim Cartwright (Road, Bed, Two) and directed by Terry Johnson (One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Hitchcock Blonde, The Graduate, Entertaining Mr Sloane).
 

(15th July)The new play, "THE MOUNTAINTOP" will open at Trafalgar Studios 1 on the 14th July until the 5th September.

Leading Royal Shakepeare Company actor, David Harewood stars as Martin Luther King which is a reimagining of the final hours in the life of the civil rights leader, and is set the night before his assassination on 3 April 1968,  in his room at the Memphis Motel to which Martin Luther King had retired after giving his famous “I have been to the mountaintop” speech to a massive church congregation. When room service is delivered by a mysterious young woman, King is forced to confront his past, as well as his legacy to his people.

The Mountaintop is currently booking until 5th September 2009. More details.....

(15th July)Well here we are - the boys are back in town. No, not Frank, Sammy & Dean (the Rat Pack opens in September at The Adelphi).

This time we have two seperate shows at The Arts Theatre on the same evenings.
 
"F.....G MEN" was a sell-out success at The Finborough Theatre in 2008, Phil Willmott’s production has extended three times at the King’s Head theatre, making it London ’s longest running Off-West end production.  And now it is moving to the West End !
 
Taking its lead from Schnitzler’s La Ronde, F**king Men is a portrait of ten men searching for love, sex and intimacy in modern day America . This insightful drama looks at a succession of couples and strangers as they negotiate the before and after of lust, love and betrayal and the pursuit of sex.
 
A fearless dissection of homosexuality that will fascinate male and female audiences of every persuasion. Some stories are poignant, some hilarious, but collectively they provide a fascinating snap shot of the modern-day male.
 
"F......g Men" starts at 7.30pm and end at 9pm (No interval)
Tuesday to Saturday from the 8th July - 1st August.
 
 
"NAKED BOYS SINGING!" is a musical comedy revue featuring an original score of 16 songs celebrating the splendours of male nudity and starts at 9.30pm. The New York Times called it “A cheery musical revue with 7 clean scrubbed song birds in their birthday suits!” The musical has been a long running hit off-broadway in New York and was seen briefly in London at Madame JoJo's club in 2001. This a new production which has been written for London audiences.
 
PLEASE NOTE: Contains Male Nudity
 
"Naked Boys Singing" starts at 9.30pm
Tuesday to Saturday from the 8th July - 1st August.

"F......g Men" is currently booking until 1st August 2009. More details.....

(6th July)The Stephen Sondheim musical " LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC" which transferred from the Menier Chocolate Factory to The Garrick Theatre in March 2009, will now end its run on Saturday 25th July. The show had been extended until the 5th September but sadly recently posted its closing notice.

(6th July) Bookings have now opened with Albemarle for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION which starts at Wyndhams Theatre on the 4th September 2009 for a limited run currently booking until 14th February 2010 and is based on the short novel Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, this iconic story inspired the ever popular cult film and is adapted by Owen O'Neil and Dave Johns, and directed by Peter Sheridan.

Andy Dufresne is convicted of murdering his wife and his lover and is sent to the notorious Shawshank Prison to serve two life sentences. Stripped of his life, family and freedom, Andy is forced to endure a spirit-crushing routine. But with his quiet strength and inner courage, there is one thing that Andy never loses - and that is hope.

The Shawshank Redemption is currently booking until 14th February 2010. More details.....

(6th July) Bookings have now opened with Albemarle for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION which starts at Wyndhams Theatre on the 4th September 2009 for a limited run currently booking until 14th February 2010 and is based on the short novel Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, this iconic story inspired the ever popular cult film and is adapted by Owen O'Neil and Dave Johns, and directed by Peter Sheridan.

Andy Dufresne is convicted of murdering his wife and his lover and is sent to the notorious Shawshank Prison to serve two life sentences. Stripped of his life, family and freedom, Andy is forced to endure a spirit-crushing routine. But with his quiet strength and inner courage, there is one thing that Andy never loses - and that is hope.

The Shawshank Redemption is currently booking until 14th February 2010.More details.....

(30th June) One of the Little Britain stars MATT LUCAS will play Kenneth Halliwell in a new play about the life of playright Joe Orton, which opens at the Comedy Theatre for a limited run from the 17th September until the 6th December 2009.

The play is inspired exclusively by the John Lahr biography and the diaries of Joe Orton, Prick Up Your Ears. The play examines the relationship between Orton and Halliwell which ended tragically in 1967 when Halliwell bludgeoned Orton to death before committing suicide.

Prick Up Your Ears  is a darkly funny and moving play imagines what really happened when, after years of creative collaboration, the door slammed shut and Kenneth was home alone.   It tells the sensational story behind the domestic life of Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell, holed up in a tiny flat in Islington, trading well-trodden insults and hilarious put-downs like any old married couple

Prick Up Your Ears is currently booking until 6th December 2009. More details.....

(28th June) Two fantastic shows return to London for what surely will be more sell out performances, this time at THE ADELPHI THEATRE, where "THE RAT PACK LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS" will open on the 24th September 2009 until the 21st November 2009.
 
This is followed by "CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK" which starts on the 24th November 2009 until the 3rd January 2010.
 
Both shows have played several seasons before in London at The Savoy, The Palladium, The Theatre Royal Haymarket,  and The Strand Theatre (now the Novello).
 
The show is a trip back in time to to the glamorous, glitzy nights of Las Vegas in the late 1950s and early 60s where, in the company of three of the world's most popular entertainers and the fabulous Berrelli Sisters, you will experience Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr & Dean Martin performing at the famous Sands hotel. Hit follows hit, including: Witchcraft, The Lady is a Tramp, Mr Bojangles, I've Got You Under My Skin, That's Amore, Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime, New York, New York, My Kinda Town, Fly Me to the Moon, Sway, Volare, Me And My Shadow, My Way, Memories Are Made Of This and many more. The Christmas production features lots of the old favourites as well as many festive songs and a Christmas setting on stage.

The Sands hotel was the very height of Las Vegas sophistication. It was there in 1960, during the filming of "Ocean's Eleven", when for the first time Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford performed together on stage. From then on, they were forever known as the Rat Pack. Las Vegas was their playground and everywhere else was known, in Rat Pack vocabulary, as ‘Dullsville, Ohio'. Frank, Sammy & Dean were a force to be reckoned with, an inexhaustible energy that is as apparent in their music today as it ever was.

(26th June) Too Close To The Sun, a new musical with music by John Robinson, who has also had Behind The Iron Mask staged in London, will open at the COMEDY THEATRE on 16th July and is currently booking until 5th September 2009 .

The musical follows Nobel Prize-winner Ernest Hemmingway as he battles old age, taking solace in the young secretary that his wife knows has her eyes on his money. But it is not just the secretary who can see the dollar signs, and an old school friend arrives with more than friendship on his mind.

Too Close To The Sun tells the imagined story of the final days of author Ernest Hemmingway, and will star Helen Dallimore, most recently seen as Glinda in the musical Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre with James Graeme, Jay Benedict and Tammy Joelle. 

Too Close To The Sun is currently booking until 5th September 2009. More details..

(24th June) The Old Vic has announced the second play in their new season - SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION by John Guare. It is an Olivier and Tony Award-winning play and is a sharp and witty look at fame, celebrity and opportunity. 
 
Set on the Upper East side in Manhattan, in a Fifth Avenue apartment, an art dealing couple are visited by a stranger in the night who claims to be a friend of their children. The young man, Paul, soon starts up another con against a young man and his girlfriend resulting in the young man giving Paul all of his savings. The plot is based on a real life story of David Hampton, a con man who managed to convince a number of people in the 1980’s that he was the son of Sidney Poitier. It’s sharp and funny in a New York wise cracking kind of way and poses the question – who’s conning you?
 
A film version was released in 1993 and starred Will Smith 

The stage cast is still to be announced.

The production runs from 7 Jan – 3 April 2010.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION is currently booking until 3rd April 2010. More details..

(22nd June) A new production of the hit South African musical  THE MYSTERIES (Yiimimangaliso) will return to London for just 25 performances at the Garrick Theatre from 11 September to 3 October 2009.

The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso brings to life the biblical stories through song, dance and drama, with an ensemble of 33 performers playing characters from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel, led by award-winning performer and co-musical director Pauline Malefane as God and Jesus. The production’s score comprises South African vocal traditions and is performed in five languages.  

THE MYSTERIES (Yiimimangaliso) is currently booking until 3rd October 2009. More details..

(19th June) DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS - the musical Inspired by the smash hit million+ selling albums Dreamboats and Petticoats - which rocketed to the top of the charts within the first week of its release in November 2008 - and Dreamboats and Petticoats 2, will open at the SAVOY THEATRE on the 22nd July initialy booking until 12th Septmeber 2009, and features some of the greatest hit songs of the rock ‘n’ roll era.

Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the team behind Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesmen and Shine On Harvey Moon, this spectacular new feel-good production will give you ‘the greatest time of your life’ – taking you back to a time when each passing week brought another classic track.

In 1961 emotions run high as talented young musicians Norman and Bobby compete to win a national song writing competition – and, more importantly, the attention of the gorgeous Sue! But when Bobby discovers that shy Laura is no slouch on the piano, love and rock ‘n’ roll fame beckons…

Featuring classic tracks from Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, and many more, including Let’s Dance, To Know Him Is To Love Him, Shaking All Over, Bobby’s Girl, Three Steps To Heaven, Little Town Flirt, Only Sixteen, Runaround Sue, Happy Birthday Sweet 16, Let It Be Me, Great Pretender, C’mon Everybody, Let’s Twist Again and many more hits from music’s golden era!

DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS is currently booking until 12th September 2009. More details..

(18th June) The Old Vic have announced their new season which starts on the 18th September 2009 with INHERIT THE WIND starring artistic director Kevin Spacey. Further casting to be announced later but the play contains a large cast. The Production runs from 18 Sept – 20 Dec 2009.
 
It will be directed by Trevor Nunn who last directed Richard II at The Old Vic.  Kevin Spacey was last seen on stage at The Old Vic in Speed the Plow.
 
INHERIT THE WIND is written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and is a big, powerful American story which is very fast paced and witty. It is loosely based on a true story of the 1925 Scopes Monkey trial, which resulted in schoolteacher John T Scopes’ conviction for teaching Darwin ’s evolution theory to a high school science class and is set in a courtroom and is about freedom of speech versus fundamentalism.

(10 June) Tenessee Williams classic 1955 drama, "CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF" will open at the Novello Theatre on 21st November 2009 for a limited season until 10th April 2010.
 
However, this will be no ordinary production as this will be an all-black production originally  seen on Broadway in 2008 starring JAMES EARL JONES and PHYLICIA RASHAD who will both reprise their performances as Big Daddy and Big Mama. .

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is currently booking until 10th April 2010. More details...

(09 June) CAROUSEL the musical has announced that it will now close earlier than planned on Saturday 20th June 2009 at The Savoy Theatre. The show had originally been booking until Saturday 25th July 2009. Rodger’s and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL originally opened on Broadway in 1945 and there have been several productions since then. The current production opened at The Savoy Theatre on the 21st November 2008 starring Lesley Garrett.

Carousel is now booking until 20th June 2009. More details...

(09 June) The new cast of the hit play "CALENDER GIRLS" will be JERRY HALL, ANITA DOBSON, SARA CROWE, JILL HALFPENNY, GEMMA ATKINSON, JILL BAKER, RICHENDA CAREY and JUNE BROWN (most famously known as Dot Cotton in the TV soap, Eastenders).
 
The current cast, Patricia Hodge, Lynda Bellingham, Sian Phillips, Elaine C Smith, Julia Hills, Brigit Forsyth and Gaynor Faye now remain until the 25th July and the new cast start on the 28th July, again for a limited period until 17th October 2009, when it is expected a further star cast will take over.

Calendar Girls is the moving story of members of the Woman's Institute who shun their usual cake baking competitions and jam making in order to produce a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia Research. The calendar causes a stir and the women find the sudden media interest more challenging than they could have predicted

CALENDER GIRLS PERFORMANCE CHANGES

Please note that as from the 25th May, Calendar Girls will no longer be performing a Monday evening performance but will instead play an additional matinee on Thursdays at 2.30pm. The performance schedule is now TUES to SAT 7.30PM and MATINEES at 2.30pm on WED, THURS AND SATS.

Calender Girls is currently booking until 23rd January 2010. More details...

(09 June)BILLY ELLIOT has swept the board winning 10 Tony Awards in New York out of the 15 nominations it received. This is also a record for a British musical on Broadway. The ceremony held at New York's famous Radio City Music Hall on Sunday 7th June saw Billy Elliot win the following:

Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish - who are the 3 Billy's)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara)
Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry)
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Best Book of a Musical
Best Choreography (Peter Darling)
Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher)

Billy Elliot is currently booking until 3rd April 2010. More details...

(05 June)"CHICAGO" the hit musical now playing at the Cambridge Theatre has a new Billy Flynn - legendary talk show host, Jerry Springer, who is making his West End debut from the 1st June for a very special limited run until the 11th July. The Cambridge is the same theatre where "Jerry Springer The Opera" opened in 2003 to critical aclaim. Now is your chance to see the real JERRY, JERRY in the flesh! BOOK NOW FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL LIMITED RUN.

Chicago is currently booking until 30th October 2010. More details...

2009 Laurence Olivier Awards Winners:

Best Lighting Design: The Chalk Garden
designed by Paule Constable
at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Sound Design: Black Watch
designed by Gareth Fry
at the Barbican

Best Costume Design: The Histories
designed by Tom Piper and Emma Williams
at the Roundhouse

Best New Dance Production: Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal’s Café Muller/ The Rite Of Spring
at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance: The company of the Royal Ballet of Flanders
for their performances in Impressing The Czar
at Sadler’s Wells

Best New Comedy: God Of Carnage
by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton
at the Gielgud theatre

Best Set Design: August: Osage County
designed by Todd Rosenthal
at the National Theatre, Lyttelton

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Lesli Margherita
for Zorro
at the Garrick theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre:
The Royal Court theatre’s production of The Pride,
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

Best Performance in a Supporting Role:
Patrick Stewart for Hamlet
at the Novello theatre

Best Actress: Margaret Tyzack
for The Chalk Garden
at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor: Derek Jacobi
for Twelfth Night,
Donmar West End at the Wyndham’s theatre

Best Company Performance: The Histories
directed by Michael Boyd
at the Roundhouse

Best Theatre Choreographer: Steven Hoggett
for Black Watch
at the Barbican

Best Revival: The Histories
directed by Michael Boyd
at the Roundhouse

Best New Opera Production:
English National Opera’s Partenope
at the London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera: Edward Gardner
for conducting English National Opera’s Boris Goduinov, Cavalliera Rusticana,
Der Rosenkavalier, I Pagliacci, Riders To The Sea
at the London Coliseum and Punch And Judy at the Young Vic

Best Actress in a Musical: Elena Roger for Piaf
at the Donmar Warehouse and Vaudeville theatre

Best Actor in a Musical: Douglas Hodge
for La Cage Aux Folles
at the Playhouse theatre

Best Entertainment: La Clique
at the Hippodrome

Best Musical Revival: La Cage Aux Folles,
music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Harvey Fierstein,
based on the play "La Cage Aux Folles" by Jean Poiret,
at the Playhouse theatre

Best New Play: National Theatre of Scotland’s
Black Watch by Gregory Burke
at the Barbican

Best Director: John Tiffany
for Black Watch
at the Barbican

Former X-Factor finalist Ray is winning the nation’s hearts all over again on the popular ITV show Dancing on Ice. The skate superstar has been dazzling audiences and lighting up the rink with stunning performances week after week. Ray is a hot contender in the race to become champion of the celebrity ice dance contest which has its final on 22 March. He will complete the live UK tour of Dancing on Ice before skating into Grease on 11 May, where he is set to thrill and charm audiences as ‘Danny’.

Following in the footsteps of screen idol John Travolta, Ray will play leader of the T-Birds gang ‘Danny’ having previously played the role of ‘Doody’.  Travolta famously played ‘Danny Zuko’ in the iconic 1978 movie but was discovered playing ‘Doody’ in the 1972 North American touring production.

Looking forward to his role in Grease, Ray says: “'I'm so thrilled to be playing 'Danny' in the West End. Grease is such an all time favourite and to be in the role made so famous by John Travolta is amazing- I can't believe my luck, it's a dream come true!”
Grease now booking until 10th January 2010. More details...

Gareth Gates became Head Chorister at Bradford Cathedral when he was eleven years old, and he sang for the Queen at the age of 13.  Gareth was runner-up in the first ever Pop Idol in 2002.  He has since had four number one singles and sold 3.5 million records to date.  Earlier this year, Gareth appeared in ITV1’s “Dancing on Ice” and went on to participate in the “Dancing on Ice” UK Tour.  More recently, he performed in “A Spoonful of Stiles & Drewe”, a charity gala celebrating the 25-year writing partnership of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.  Gareth is about to open in “Cinderella” at the Wimbledon Theatre, starring as ‘Prince Charming’ opposite Joanna Page and Alistair McGowan.

Gareth says of his West End debut: “I have a lot to thank “JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT” for as it is the reason I first started singing, after being chosen to play the lead in a school production when I was eight years old. Ever since then it’s been a dream of mine to appear in a West End musical. I am really honoured to be appearing at the Adelphi, stepping into that famous coat and really can’t wait to get stuck in!”

With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, this new staging of the record-breaking 1990’s London Palladium production, which was directed by Steven Pimlott, is designed by Mark Thompson and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast.  This colourful retelling of the biblical story of dreamboat Joseph and his uncanny abilities and that designer coat sings out to young and old alike, with a score which is wall-to-wall hits, including ‘Close Every Door’ and ‘Any Dream Will Do’.

Joseph and the Amazing... now booking until 18th July 2009. More details...