That Stagey Blog
- Apr 27, 2021
- 8 min read

Sixty-Second Theatre News Roundup -April 26th

Updated: Apr 27, 2021

This week’s video is available on YouTube:

This week’s news includes:

Tracie Bennett returned to Coronation Street after 22 years. Reprising her role as Sharon Gaskell. Coronation Street aired Sharon's return on Wednesday, April 21 at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

JP Ellis has written 11 new tracks. The first of these “Take Me Apart” is out now.

https://hypeddit.com/link/9ekde5

Ross Harmon has released his debut single “Lonely World”.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rossharmon/lonely-world

A workshop of new musical The Danish Girl, will run at New Theatre Peterborough from 26 to 30 April.

Adapted from the book by David Ebershoff in turn based on the true story of Lili Elbe. Created by writers Katie Lam and Alex Parker alongside director Tinuke Craig, will follow the Danish painter Elbe, who was the first person to undergo gender confirmation surgery in 1930.

She will be portrayed by by American transgender actress L Morgan Lee, alongside Laura Pitt-Pulford as Gerda, with Sharif Afifi, Kelly Agbowu, Jo Eaton-Kent, Siubhan Harrison, Chloe Hart, Chris Jenkins, Freddie King and Harrison Knights also involved in the workshop.

The project will also be supported by consultants Jake Graf (actor and director known for his award-winning film XWHY) and Hannah Graf, (who in 2013 became one of the highest ranking transgender soldiers in the British Army), as well as Harry Williams, one of the creatives and founders of the Trans Voices Company.

Lee said: "I never would have guessed, in the middle of a pandemic, I'd be in my apartment in New York on Zoom with a creative team in London discussing a new musical. I've dreamed of getting my hands on this kind of material in a show but the reality is Black women, and even more specifically Black, trans women are so rarely, if ever, even considered.

"This creative team has taken the time to truly see the artists they work with. They are committed to telling this story using not only a trans woman to play Lili but a variety of trans people in many of the other roles throughout the show with a cast that reflects the world we live in. The process has been such a testament to the potential of where our industry has the potential to go and I'm so honored to be a part of that."

Lam added: "Inspired by discussions with our consultants and cast, we are committed to telling a joyful trans story. Lili of course struggled through the traumas inherent in transition and did not survive her final operation. But for decades she was supported, accepted and loved by her wife, siblings, parents, friends and wider community. She found a surgeon who believed and understood her, and was able to make her emotional reality a physical reality; and all a hundred years ago."

The Curve’s production of Sunset Boulevard to steam again between 10th - 15th May.

Starring Ria Jones. Danny Mac. Molly Lynch. Adam Pearce. Dougie Carter. Carl Sanderson. Benjamin Chambers. Owen Chaponda. Joanna Goodwin. Kristoffer Hellström. James Meunier. Gemma Naylor. Joanna O’Hare. Jessica Paul. Sam Peggs. Barney Wilkinson.

Tickets £20 https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/sunset-boulevard-at-home/

Jodie Prenger will star in a new tour of Tell Me On A Sunday from June.

The one-woman musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black opens at Malvern Festival Theatre on 15 June 2021 and will then travel to Shrewsbury, Chelmsford, Canterbury, Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield, Grimsby, Colchester, Edinburgh, Leicester, Salford and Bury St Edmund. Further tour dates will be announced.

Tell Me On A Sunday tells the story of an English woman looking for love in all the wrong places in the heady days of 1980s New York. The musical premiered in the West End in 1982 and on Broadway in 1985 with memorable performances including Marti Webb, Bernadette Peters, Jenna Russell and Denise Van Outen.

Prenger previously performed the piece to widespread acclaim in 2016.

Prenger most recently starred in the National Theatre’s West End production of A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios. Her other theatre work includes the national tours of Abigail’s Party, Shirley Valentine, Annie, Fat Friends The Musical and Calamity Jane. In the West End she has starred in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, One Man Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Spamalot at the Playhouse.

Producer Jamie Wilson said today “We are thrilled that we are able to revive the acclaimed Watermill Theatre production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s Tell Me On A Sunday to be able to play a part in the reopening of theatres around the UK.”

Wilson added “Tell Me On A Sunday, with its cast of just one actress, is probably the most naturally socially distanced musical in the world! We are delighted that Jodie Prenger is able to return to this role to reprise her incredible performance as “Emma”. This production is the perfect way for audiences to support their local theatre with this classic show.”

The production is directed by Paul Foster with musical direction by Francis Goodhand and musical supervision by Catherine Jayes. It is designed by David Woodhead with lighting design by Howard Hudson and sound design by Tom Marshall.

In 2019 Don Black mentioned the musical was being adapted for a gender-swapped production, however no further announcements have been made.

Tickets for Tell Me On A Sunday are now available.

Waitress. Hair Spray and Priscilla and Six have all announced their tour casts.

Waitress will open at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 4 September 2021 before moving to Leeds, Crawley, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Eastbourne, Sunderland, Brighton, Manchester, Aberdeen, Stoke, Northampton, Edinburgh, Leicester, Hull, Bristol, Bromley, Belfast, Newcastle, Woking, Plymouth, Llandudno, Inverness, Glashow, Oxford, Liverpool Empire, Birmingham, Southampton, Cardiff, Dublin, Woverlahmpton, Dartford, Torquay, Nottingham, Bradford, Canterbury, Southend and Norwich.

Lucie Jones returns as Jenna with Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn. Sandra Marvin joins as Becky, with Busted's Matt Willis as Dr Pomatter.

They will be joined by George Crawford as Ogie, Tamlyn Henderson as ‘Earl' and Christopher D.Hunt as Cal. The company also includes Monique Ashe-Palmer, Amelia Atherton, Donal Brennan, Aimée Fisher, Nathanael Landskroner, Charlie Martin, Liam McHugh, Olivia Mitchell and Ben Morris.

Lucie Jones will be doing the full tour through to August 2022, with Hoskins, Marvin and Willis performing until the Hull dates.

Waitress initially opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 7 March 2019 and has now ended its West End run, picking up 7 WhatsOnStage Award nominations in December 2019.

It has music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by Jessie Nelson, direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus and choreography by Lorin Latarro. Based on the film of the same name, it follows a young waitress in a diner who dreams of leaving her job and forging a life of her own.

The touring production of Hairspray has announced its full casting.

Katie Brace will make her professional stage debut as Tracy Turnblad with Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle, Norman Pace as Wilbur Turnblad alongside West End leading man Alex Bourne as Edna Turnblad.

Also appearing are Rebecca Thornhill as Velma, Richard Meek as Corny Collins, Ross Clifton as Link Larkin, Jessica Croll as Amber Von Tussle, Rebecca Jane Davies as Penny Pingleton and Charlotte St Croix as Little Inez.

The full cast includes: Elizabeth Armstrong, Bernadette Bangura, Natalia Brown, Shaquille Brush, Liam Dean, Andrew Dillion, Amandla Elynah, Zoe Heighton, Ceris Hine, Paul Hutton, Jamie Jonathan, Hayley Johnston, Joshua Nkemdilim, Rosie O'Hare, Alexanda O'Reilly, Joshua Pearson, Joseph Poulton and Elliotte Williams-N'Dure.

Directed by Paul Kerryson and choreography by Drew McOnie.

Opening at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 24 June 2021,

Before Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, Manchester Palace Theatre, Sheffield Lyceum, Ipswich Regent Theatre, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Edinburgh Playhouse, The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Brighton Theatre Royal, Birmingham Hippodrome, Leicester Curve, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin, Grand Opera House Belfast, New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Milton Keynes Theatre and Blackpool Grand Theatre.

More dates are to be announced for 2022.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert UK Tour 2021 Cast announced

Miles Western will take on the role of Bernadette, with Nick Hayes as Adam/Felicia and Edwin Ray playing Tick/Mitzi. They are joined by Daniel Fletcher (Bob), Rebecca Lisewski (Marion), Kevin Yates (Miss Understanding), Gracie Lai (Cynthia) and Ronan Burns (Frank). The Divas will be played by Claudia Kariuki, Rosie Glossop and Aiesha Pease, and the cast is completed by Emma Katie Adcock, Jak Allen Anderson, Allie Daniel, Martin Harding, Clarice Julianda, Jemima Loddy, Nathan Ryles, Tom Scanlon and Jermaine Woods.

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

23 June – 3 July 2021

Sixty-Second Theatre News Roundup -April 26th

UK TOUR DATES

Recent Posts