That Stagey Blog
Sixty-Second Theatre News Roundup -April 12th
Updated: Apr 14, 2021

I’m back with my 60 second theatre news roundup.
This weeks video is available on YouTube:
This week’s news includes:

Snowflake: A New musical by Lewis Cornay have launched a crowdfunder. They aim to raise £7,500 to support the development and workshop of this new show.
If you would like to contribute please follow this link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/snowflake-a-new-musical-development-workshop

West End in Blackpool
A brilliant documentary about The history of the Winter Gardens Blackpool with performances from Jodie Prenger, Tom Lister, Kelsey-Beth Crossley and Ashley Luke Lloyd in this ‘docu-concert’ show!
Streaming until 9th July
https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/west-end-blackpool

The F*CK Am I Doing? Is the inaugural production of the new writing initiative, The COW Community, founded by recent graduates of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Produced as a digital charity event to steam on April 30th at 20:00.
Tickets are $10.65 including booking fee.

Gus Gowland has announced the month long - Musical Theatre Writing Challenge , Come What May. A brand new writing challenge to encourage writers to keeping writing - come what may.
Sign up to be part of the inaugural musical theatre writing challenge at www.themusicaltheatrewritingchallenge.com and follow the journey via the hashtag #ComeWhatMay.

2020 The Covid Musical written by Natasha Mould and Richard Vanryne, have announced their cast and tour dates.
Co-director & Choreographer
Taylor Walker
Cast
Eloise Davies, Jason Kajdi, Natasha Mould, Charles Tatman, Alex Tranter, Dawn Williams, Edward Bullingham, Demmileigh Foster, Mukeni Nel, Micaela Todd, and Oliver Imeson
The Camberley Theatre
22/23 May
The Leatherhead Theatre
28-31 May
The Stag Theatre
4-6 June
Www.2020thecovidmusical.com

Tom Allen will return as commentator with The Show Stoppers for the Alternative Eurovision Song Contest
On 15th May, 8pm.
With musical directors – Duncan Walsh Atkins, Christopher Ash and Jordan Clarke. Showstopper hosts Pippa Evans and Andrew Pugsley and an all-star cast of celebrities including actor Les Dennis, Russell Kane, London Hughes, Le Gateau Chocolat as judges and Grace Mouat, Jordan Gray and Mike McShane as guest performers.
https://showstopperthemusical.com/alternative-eurovision-2021/

MT Fest UK have announced the casts for their eight new shows.
Produced by Turbine Theatre artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills.

Far From Heaven
Book by Richard Greenberg
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korle
Direction by Matthew White
Musical direction by Alex Parker
Cast
Cory English
Tiffany Graves
Aimee Hodnett
Melanie La Barrie
Ako Mitchell
Bryce Pinkham
Scarlett Strallen

50 Days
Created and written by Thabo Stuck
Direction by Ajjaz Awad
Musical direction by Amiir Salem
Cast
Aminita Francis
Nadine-Rose Johnson
Reuben Joseph
Kyran Mitchell-Nanton
Robert Saunders
Cleve September

The Man in the Ceiling
Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Book by Jules Feiffer
Directed by Annabel Mutale Reed
Musical direction by Richard Beadle.
Cast
Matthew Croke
Jazz Jenkins
Andrew Lippa
Sharon Rose

Millennials
Music, book and lyrics by Elliot Clay
Director Luke Sheppard
Musical director Katy Richardson
Cast
Luke Bayer
Allie Daniel
Beth Hinton-Lever
Nathan Lorainey-Dineen
Tim Mahendran
Grace Mouat
Jodie Steele

Housefire
By P Burton-Morgan and Felix Hagan
Musical direction by Mark Collins
Cast
Alex Cardall
Eleanor Kane
Robin Simões da Silva

Cake, inspired by the life of Marie Antoinette
Music and lyrics by Jack McManus and Tasha Taylor-Johnson
Book and lyrics by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm Direction by Drew McOnie.
Cast
Tori Allen-Martin
Emma Kingston
Phoebe Panaretos
Sebastien Torkia

Daisy
Book, music and lyrics by Caroline Kay
Direction by Séimí Campbell
Musical direction by Sarah Travis.
Cast
Jessica Cervi
Chris Chung
Caroline Kay
Sharon Sexton

Tony! (A Tony Blair Rock Opera)
Book and lyrics by Harry Hill and Steve Brown
Direction by Peter Rowe
Musical directon by Sarah Travis.
Cast
Jenna Boyd
Scott Garnham
Gemma Knight Jones
Marie Lawrence
Simon Lipkin
Nicola Sloane
Paul Thornley
17 to 29 May at the Turbine before embarking on a ‘digital tour'.
Venues it will visit in virtual form are:
31 May to 6 June: Norwich Theatre Royal, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Birmingham Hippodrome
7 to 13 June: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester
14 to 20 June: Curve Theatre, Leicester and Dundee Repertory Theatre
21 to 27 June: New Wolsey Theatre and Theatre Clwyd
28 June to 4 July: Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Sheffield Theatres and The Lowry, Manchester
https://www.theturbinetheatre.com/whats-on/tony-%28mtfest-on-tour%29

Public Domain by Francesca Forristal and Jordan Paul Clarke transfers to the West End for five performances from 27th May.
Originally performed at the Southwalk
Playhouse
Produced and directed by Adam Lenson


The team behind Kinky Kabaret, Baby Grand Collective are launching West End Drag Brunch at the Folly Bar from 30th May.
Ft. Coco Vadose, Ella Vaday, Luna Bundy, Miss D, Paige Three, Lovelle, Ruby Murry, Portia De Fosse, Mercedes Bends.
https://www.designmynight.com/london/bars/city-of-london/the-folly/west-end-drag-brunch

The full line up for West End Live Lounge on June 14th has been announced with tickets for the stalls and dress circle already sold out.
Glenn Adamson, Kelly Agbowu, Marcus Ayton, Zoe Birkett, Kayla Carter, Louise Dearman, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Divalution (Sejal Keshwala, Laura Tebbutt, Lisa-Marie Holmes), Vivienne Ekwulugo, Hiba Elchikhe, Alice Fearn, Simon Gordon, Joel Harper-Jackson, Emma Hatton, Sophie Isaacs, Aisha Jawando, Rachel John, Martha Kirby, Emma Lindars, Vicki Manser, Kayleigh McKnight, Christina Modestou, Cedric Neal, Natalie Paris and Matt Terry.
The host for the evening will be Samuel Holmes.
Musical direction by Sam Coates. Sound design by Will Miney and Paul Gatehouse.
Proceeds from this event will be split between the Equity Charitable Trust and the Graham Martin Bursary Appeal.
https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/west-end-live-lounge-the-greats/

Heathers is returning to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket from 21st June as well as a UK Tour from 28th July.
Opening in Leeds before visiting Liverpool, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Canterbury, Bristol, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
The tour cast includes includes Rebecca Wickes (Veronica Sawyer), Simon Gordon (JD), Maddison Firth (Heather Chandler), Merryl Ansah (Heather Duke), Lizzy Parker (Heather McNamara), Mhairi Angus, Andy Brady, Callum Connolly, Liam Doyle, Georgina Hagen, Bayley Hart, Kurt Kansley and Daisy Twells.
https://linktr.ee/Heathers_Musical

Alexandra Burke will play the Narrator in this summer’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat along side Jac Yarrow and Jason Donovan at the London Palladium from 1st July.
https://www.josephthemusical.com/

And The Last 5 Years will transfer to the West End from 17th September for four weeks.
Written by Jason Robert Brown
This production ran twice at the Southwark Playhouse and filmed for online streaming. It is produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment in association with Edward Prophet.
Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle with Musical Director Leo Mundy and choreography by Sam Spencer-Lane
It stars Oli Higginson and Molly Lynch.
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