It has not been the most action packed couple of weeks for West End news. Apart from Catherine Tate falling over and a smattering of cast changes it has been pretty sleepy in theatreland.
To sate your appetite for stage news and gossip we at Show and Stay^® have put our ears to the ground and gathered together some of the juicier rumours working their way around the West End. Some are exciting, some are ridiculous and some are patently untrue, enjoy!

Sister Act Coming to West End?

It was exciting enough to know that a Sister Act musical existed at all, albeit in America. It warmed my heart to think that somewhere, someone was playing the role of Delores Van Cartier. Imagine my disappointment when, after a successful run in Atlanta, the nun-tastic musical failed to transfer to Broadway, bad times. But wait! The show’s producers are apparently looking to secure a West End theatre instead, good times. In just a few short month’s theatergoers may have the opportunity to enjoy dinner and a show featuring singing brides of Christ, nothing says showbiz like singing nuns ladies and gentlemen, nothing!

Not Everyone Happy With Mamma Mia Film

Apparently Nigel Harman, star of the original West End version of Abba jukebox musical Mamma Mia, is not a happy bunny. The Eastenders star is said to be upset he was overlooked for a role in the new Mamma Mia film adaptation. Reportedly he told friends that he understands he is older than he was while starring in Mamma Mia, but is disappointed he was not approached to play one of the older roles in the new film. Better luck next time Nigel.

Yet More I’d Do Anything Rumours

Online forums have been buzzing with rumours about the rejected Nancys from BBC’s I’d Do Anything. Recent news from the interesting, if slightly questionable world of theatre discussion boards implies that Niamh is lined up for the part of Liesl in The Sound of Music. Apparently West End up-and-comer Rebecca Lucie was offered the part but was ousted when Lloyd Webber decided he wanted to use one of the Nancys. Meanwhile rumours continue to swarm around Jessie Buckley, another Nancy near-miss. Some sources say she has been offered a Nancy understudy role, others are adamant she has started a course in Shakespearean drama at RADA. Whatever the truth, there is certainly a great deal of interest surrounding the young performer. Other I’d Do Anything based news comes from theatre fan Golden Anemone, who kindly let us know that the talented Niamh wll be playing Snow White in Eastbourne for panto season and the lead in Only the Brave at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Thanks Ms Anemone!

Some Random Bits and Pieces

• Possible stage adaptation of Withnail & I, Jude Law allegedly to star.
• BBC not doing another West End casting show in the near future due to criticism received.
• A musical based on the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is on the way.
• Andrew Lloyd Webber will be working with ITV on a new reality TV casting show for The Wizard of Oz.

Hopefully that satisfied you for now, please feel free to leave comments, rants and new rumours.

Technorati Tags: catherine tate, id do anything, jessie buckley, Lion King, little mermaid, mamma mia, mamma mia cast, niamh, sister act musical, theatre news, theatre rumours, west end news, west end rumours, wizard of oz

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When considering a city so rich in historical and local interest as London, choosing ten things to do may seem an impossible task. After all, if you are a visitor, there is always so much to do in so little a time. Nevertheless that is exactly what this article will help you achieve. London is a city whose history spans over two thousand years. The Romans founded the city of Londinium as their capital, but evidence suggests that the site was occupied long before in the form of a large Iron Age hill fort. After this, all of the civilisations to invade England over the next six hundred years would settle in London at some point. It is largely due to this influx of new people and ideas, that the city is so wealthy in cultural diversity today. So that’s the history lesson over, if you want to discover the best attractions of the English capital read on.

A must see feature of London is the London Eye. Indeed, you can hardly avoid seeing it as you enter the city. The Eye dominates the skyline and is a must if you wish to observe London in all its glory. One hundred and thirty five meters in height, the Eye offers breath taking views and is accessible to all. For those with a visual impairment there is an in-flight guide. Wheel chair users and those with hearing impairment are also welcome. No trip to the Eye is complete without a cruise down the river Thames, where you can get a closer look at many of the sites to the accompaniment of an expert commentary.

If you’re a more hands on person, don’t miss the London Dungeons. Apart from testing your nerve, the Dungeons will provide you with a fantastic historical experience. You will be able to witness London throughout some of its darkest moments. Smell the smoke of the Great Fire and become part of a medieval execution first hand, in the form of a brand new ride. If being confronted by instruments of torture and seeing the aftermath of plague isn’t enough, realistic re-enactments by the Dungeons staff should do the trick and ensure you don’t forget your visit.

For a more gentle experience, you may decide to take part in one of the guided tours of Buckingham Palace. If you wish, such tours can be accompanied by an audio sound track. Tours are open from August to September, and will take you around the palace’s nineteen staterooms and beautiful gardens. Even more reason to visit the palace this year, is the fact that for the first time the palace Ball Room is now open to the public. The table will be set as if for a state dinner and the lavish silverware on display includes some from the reign of King George III. While you’re there, don’t miss the changing of the guard. This time honoured ceremony has taken place since the reign of king Henry VII, when soldiers of the Household Troops were first tasked with protecting the palace.

The chances are you’ll have seen these buildings every night on TV, so you’d be mad to leave London without first taking a look at the Houses of Parliament. You can take part in a wonderful tour, that takes in all sites of interest both today and throughout parliament’s long and bloody history. Discover what happened on the day Charles I attempted to arrest five MPs and discover how parliament really works. Before you leave, don’t miss the icon that is Big Ben. The naming of this famous structure is subject to great controversy. Some believe it was named after a well known prize fighter, whilst others hold the rather less interesting view that it is named after a particularly tall MP.

Another site of great importance to London is Nelson’s column. This famous statue is to commemorate one of Britain’s best known seafaring heroes and is a symbol of how Britain as an Island race dominated the waves for over two hundred years. The column took twenty eight years to complete, and guns captured from Nelson’s defeated rivals were used in the design.

If you’re a fan of all things military you might want to see the Imperial War Museum. This fantastic building documents Britain’s military history from the Great War 1914 - 1918, to the present. It’s not just about guns and tanks though, so even if you’re not a war buff you will find the Blitz experience interesting, as it shows how ordinary people lived throughout the Second World War.

If you go to see Nelson’s column then statues are clearly your thing, so don’t forget the world renowned Madame Tussauds and get the chance to mingle with the great and the good from around the world. Meet the Beatles and address the world from alongside George W Bush.

Whether you’re a regular theatre goer or not you shouldn’t leave London without checking out one of its great west end shows, such as Blood Brothers, now showing at the Phoenix Theatre. Blood Brothers is a compelling story of family love, desire and betrayal. As a musical it ticks all the boxes, with stunning sound tracks and an amazing cast. The show is essentially a clash of culture, between an upper and a working class family. At the start of the show it would seem that they have nothing in common, but as the plot unfolds, they become bound by fraternal loyalty.

If you want to catch a film while you’re here, then check out Leicester Square. This being London, you can be certain that whatever film you are looking for you can find. Also, the Square is excellent for anyone with sight difficulties as it is one of the best providers of audio described films in the country.

Finally, no trip to the theatre or the movies would be complete without dinner to follow. Picking out a nice eating place from London’s thousand’s of restaurants is hardly an easy task. There are so many factors to consider. Location, atmosphere and most importantly, the food itself. The Rain Forest Cafe certainly fits the bill. If its wide range of food and west end location aren’t enough, its realistic recreation of a rain forest will make certain you enjoy your meal, whilst experiencing a tropical storm in all its glory without getting wet!

Technorati Tags: big ben, blood brothers, buckingham palace, imperial war museum, leicester square, london, london attractions, london dungeons, london eye, madame tussauds, rain forest cafe, top london activities

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Dubious pop-star, elephant fan and Olympic standard cabbie basher Lee Ryan is apparently going to make his theatrical debut in late August, oh goody!
The former member of Blue will be performing in a new play called The Pretender Agenda which will fun for five weeks.
For those of you not familiar with Lee Ryan’s work, he enjoyed success with boyband Blue in the early 2000s, he then launched a solo career, with his self-titled album reaching number six in the UK charts. Ryan caused massive controversy in 2001, when he said the September 11th attacks were unimportant compared the the amount of elephants being poached in Africa. In late 2007 Ryan was arrested for assaulting a taxi driver. An appearance on Holby City, a role in an upcoming gangster film with Vinnie Jones (I was under the impression they stopped making those in the late 90s) and a voice part in Ice Age 2 complete Ryan’s glittering CV.

Ryan’s first foray into the world of the West End will be bravely hosted by the New Players Theatre. A small (275 seater) but comfortable, recently refurbished and well respected establishment located in the arches under Charing Cross. The theatre must be commended for staging something new. With so many revivals in the West End at the moment it is refreshing to see a small theatre taking a chance on an unknown show.

This said, the plot does not strike me as anything particularly groundbreaking. A disastrous office party reveals secrets that change the lives of the characters forever - yawn. It must also be taken into account that with all the talk of “stunt-casting” filling the theatrical media this unknown show certainly has more than its fair share of vaguely familiar faces. Lucy Benjamin from Eastenders, Vincenzo Pellegrino from Holby City, Sue Devaney of Dinnerladies fame and Coronation Street’s Emily Aston will be joining Mr. Ryan on stage.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this show will become a lightning rod for theatreland’s anti-celeb club’s scorn. Lets wait and see, and hope Ryan doesn’t take a taxi to work…

Technorati Tags: Lee Ryan, lucy benjamin, new players theatre, sue devaney, the pretender agenda, vincenzo pellegrino

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Not two weeks ago did we announce that unlucky Nancy hopeful Amy Booth-Steel was caught up in the great big granite balloon that was All Bob’s Women. Now it seems like the washout-lightening has struck again as this weekend the Arts Theatre announced that its ‘one man’ ventriloquist show The Two and Only is also closing early. Despite receiving largely positive reviews, the Tony Award winning show failed to attract anything like the numbers it was expecting this side of the Atlantic.

So what’s next for the Arts Theatre? I’m pretty sure that a couple of duds aren’t really going to damage the reputation of the theatre that once premiered the English language version of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot but it doesn’t look good does it?

Although, actually, maybe it’s not as bad as all that. With the West End literally awash with revivals of re-runs of revivals, isn’t it a breath of fresh air to get a theatre that is brave enough to give new stuff a go? It might not have worked out for Amy Goof-Steel or this puppet chap, whoever the hell he is, but at least they were trying something original. The shame is, I suppose, that these shows weren’t given much of a run. The ventriloquist Jay Johnson’s one man show for example, despite an award winning stretch on Broadway and tip top reviews both there and in London, was given less than two weeks to prove itself. Just because punters weren’t kicking the doors in a week and a half before it opened doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have picked up.

Still, business is business and if the Arts Theatre felt they were loosing too much money on the show the only sensible option was to close. As the theatrical press gather round to mock the fringe playhouse however, best we remind them that at least they’re attempting to stage something fresh and thought provoking. No painting-by-numbers ever made it into the Tate did it?

Technorati Tags: all bobs women, amy booth steel, amy steel, arts theatre, id do anything, jay johnson, jessie buckley, london theatres, nancys, samantha barks, two and only, ventriloquist, west end comedy

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It’s a great time for the West End right now, shows are extending, breaking records and drawing mammoth audiences left right and centre. Reality TV casting show winners such as Jessie Buckley, Jodie Pregner and Samantha Barks have summoned legions of young people with no previous interest in theatre to the West End. Although it could be argued that these new theatre fans are nothing more than celeb-spotters, it cannot be denied the income they provide can do no harm to theatres across London.

It’s not all good news in theatreland however. The countless thesps ruthlessly panning London show’s current trend of casting celebrities had better sharpen their tongues, Geri Halliwell wants to come to the West End. With the likes of Jude Law on the receiving end of the theatrical glitterati’s fury what possible chance does lacklustre spice stand?

Thankfully, the bendy former Spice Girl has admitted her music career is well and truly over after three number one solo singles and three solo albums. As well as a noteworthy pop career Halliwell has released two autobiographies and recently signed a contract with Macmillan to write six books about “Ugenia Lavender” a character apparently loosely based on Halliwell. I wonder if “Ugenia Lavender and the West End disaster” is in the pipeline?

Before we out and out pooh-pooh the idea of Halliwell treading the boards let us consider her acting credentials. The retired Spice Girl of course appeared in Spice World, a commercial success (which landed the girl group the “worst actress” award at the 1998 Golden Raspberries). She also appeared in an adaptation of Viz’s Fat Slags comic strip (no really, she honestly did) and an episode of single women’s favourite - Sex and the City.

Considering her spice training, Halliwell may well make a fitting addition to one of the more tongue in cheek West End shows. However, her mere presence near a stage may cause the West End’s anti-celeb set to actually explode.
Lets wait and see, how exciting!

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We’ve all heard the likes of Webber and Mackintosh banging on about the positive effect their reality casting competitions have on the West End. “The shows attract new audiences!” they beam, thrusting sheets of box office figures every which where; “Look!”

Despite this marked enthusiasm, a new report by the Society of London Theatre suggests distinctly otherwise…

In his annual report, Richard Andrews claimed that though shows like Joseph and The Sound of Music attract “new, younger, first-time audiences”, he explained that “Whether these new theatregoers will return to see other shows that don’t feature ‘him or her off the telly’ remains to be seen.”

Ooooh; that’s not good news is it?

He continued:”So far, the difficulty of selling performances of these shows when the star has been absent through sickness, holiday or scheduling does not seem an encouraging sign.”

Blimey.

But then, hang on a second, SOLT’s report insists that its takings are up £70m on last year and that no fewer than 1.1m new people are coming to the West End. Surely that has to be a success doesn’t it? Even if Andrews takes this million strong surplus as an entire collective of star-gazers and celebophiles (which has to be a pretty offensive and unimaginative, let alone a sludgy, sticky and tarry conclusion) then what about the existing 12.5m theatregoers? How are they going to be adversely affected? What I mean is that if watching experimental new theatre or classically trained Shakespeare is your bag then a load of polystyrene-fingered youngsters sitting next to you on the tube is hardly going to put you off.

True, the staging of new writing is down on last year. This is, naturally, a bad sign for the future. But that’s the fault of tubby tabby producers isn’t it? New audiences are attracted to big names granted, but if theatres fail to husband new material then this trend will puff itself out in no time. It would be just, well, a little bit silly if producers tried to sell the same thing over and over again to the theatre-loving populace wouldn’t it?

I suppose the upshot is that popular stars like Jodie Prenger, Lee Mead and Jessie Buckley are causing a stir in the West End at the moment. They’re quite simply and unquestionably the theatrical flavour of the month. However, if producers took half a step sideways and looked into staging lower budget, lower priced new shows then fears about the effect a few series of a TV show are having on a £469.9m business would all seem a little frivolous don’t you think?

What do you reckon anyway? Think Reality TV shows like I’d Do Anything are a help or a hinderence to the West End as a whole? We’d love to hear what you think.

Technorati Tags: andrew lloyd webber, cameron mackintosh, id do anything, jessie buckley, jodie prenger, joseph, show and stay, sound of music, theatre, west end shows, west end theatres

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With the new High School Musical stage adaptation hitting the West End this summer, it’s time for kids of all ages to get excited and I for one, a 24 year old man, am no exception.

After being forced to watch the film version with my girlfriend and her niece, I was pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed it. The story line is a typical American teenage love story with an obvious outcome. However, with the catchy dance moves and sing-a-long songs, I couldn’t believe that I (a man who in the past has rubbished all forms of musical and theatrical productions), loved the film so much. I watched it twice over the same weekend!

In my eyes, this modern day version of Grease, will hopefully be a smash hit and may one day settle in the West End to amaze and thrill audiences for years to come. However, the male population will definitely need some convincing. My proof that all men enjoy the occasional escape from the masculine world, was confirmed with my older and younger brothers obvious enjoyment of the film. Two typical modern day beer swilling, football watching lads (not too dissimilar from myself) suffered the same fate of loving the film!

I would personally advise that grown men with no interest at all in anything remotely musical give this show a chance and if you have kids, then that is all the more reason to let out your inner child and embrace an evening of cheesy fun!

Plus with Letitia Dean playing the role of Ms Darbus, the overtop drama teacher, there is an added bonus for the older gentleman to keep awake! I urge everyone to catch High School Musical at the Hammersmith Apollo whilst you still can, the show is due to close in August. Fingers crossed that it extends its West End run as I would definitely go more than once!

Here’s a quick taster for those who remain unconvinced of the merits of High School Musical, this clip is from the original film version:

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Hollywood hearthrob Josh Harnett is set to star in a West End reworking of the 1989 movie classic Rain Man. Hartnett will play ‘Charlie’, the role taken in the original by Tom Cruise… the title doesn’t look quite so daft now does it.

Adapted by Dan Gordon, who last year converted Terms of Endearment for the stage, the plot mirrors that of the Oscar winning film. However, according to producer Nick Burns “This is not the film on stage, it’s a theatrical adaptation of what is a really great story.”… I see.

I suppose my only question is, quite simply: WHY?

Why do it? Why adapt a perfectly good film, that EVERYONE has seen, for the stage? Dustin Hoffman only won a flipping Oscar for his outstanding performance; how could you possibly top that? What insight could you bring to the plot after 19 years? If the producers wanted to explore the perception of Autism in today’s society than why don’t they do everyone the common courtesy of staging a new play. The prospect of sitting through a re-hashed yarn that is dragged up to date by clumsily chucking in the odd reference to the internet and mobile phones just makes want to cry salt tears of sheer boredom.

So what, theatre producers think it’s a safe option to stick a well known star into a well known story? It all sounds so crippling dull doesn’t it?

Or am I wrong? Is this just what the West End needs? Let me know what you think.

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William Shakespeare? Ha! Never heard of him.

Yes, you may have guessed it by now; the fantastic lives of Posh and Becks are to be made into a new comedy musical… and it’s going to be based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, believe it or not.

Brought to the unsuspecting people of Dublin, this little satirical jig is produced by the same chaps behind I Keano. A hilarious spoof musical that followed Roy Keane’s walkout on the Irish international football team, I Keano played a host of provincial theatres around Ireland and received rave reviews. This new show however, is thought to be of wider appeal and so is rumoured to be looking for a transfer to the West End.

This all may be mere speculation, but so far the script seems to have caused quite a stir in theatre circles in and around Dublin. “We’re very excited by the script” says Long Road Productions director Ronan Smith, “It’s a wild comedy romp that borrows from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, as well as Cyrano de Bergerac.”

Apparently, Victoria Beckham is portrayed as an ambitious virago who forces husband David to sacrifice the integrity of his footballing career so that she may live the high life in Madrid and Los Angeles. Sound familiar anyone?

The cast is yet to be announced but it is believed that the writers, Gary Cooke and Malachy McKenna, will take on major roles themselves. They have their casting work cut out for them though because this musical contains a supporting cast that includes characters like Sir Alex Ferguson and one time England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. It’s even been hinted that someone will get their hands dirty playing Becks’s infamous PA Rebecca Loos. A sticky situation is certainly on the cards no?

Too easy.

If you want to see this new comedy musical than, at least for the time being, you’ll have to nip over to the twinkly Emerald Isle to catch it. Until we hear of a West End switch then the ball’s in their… half, so to speak. Still, we think it’ll be a right laugh. What do you think? Reckon ole Golden Balls will bounce his way all the way to the West End?

Technorati Tags: alex ferguson, becks, david beckham, golden balls, musical, musicals, posh, posh and becks, rebecca loos, roy keane, victoria beckham

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Much like its predecessors, How Do you Solve a Problem Like Maria and Any Dream Will Do, the BBC’s talent hunt I’d Do Anything has prided itself on sparking the careers of several of its unlucky finalists. For example, ex-Nancy Niamh is set to star in a new musical called Only the Brave whilst Samantha Barks and Jessie Buckley have been in hush hush talks with Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh about possible future projects. One of the most outspoken cast-offs however, was Brummie graduate Amy Booth-Steel who had landed a part in the new “sex-musical” All Bob’s Women at the Arts Theatre.

Booth-Steel had been fairly upbeat about the whole thing when she talked to the Stage magazine last month. Speaking about appearing on I’d Do Anything, Amy declared that “It’s raised my profile”, before hastily launching into a description of the fairly saucy plot of All Bob’s Women. When praised for finding work so soon after being the first contestant booted off the show, Amy even agreed “Yes, I’ve done really well”

Mmmm… well… maybe not that well Amy.

All Bob’s Women is set to close after just 6 performances.

Not even a week after it opened, All Bob’s Woman is to be consigned to musical history after a complete mauling by the critics. I say mauling… and I mean it. In fact, it got a right ruddy pasting.

Charles Spencer from the Telegraph claimed that: “Russell Labey’s production proves devoid of pace, point and even basic clarity” Oouch. At least Spencer concluded his level-headed review by recommending the show to one section of society: “This is a show fit only for masochists” As pannings go, that’s got to be pretty much up there. Mr Shenton from The Stage also found All Bob’s Women, well, let’s say: not to his taste. He described the show as “biliously bad”

Maybe this wasn’t your big break after all Booth-Steel. Still, I’m sure something will come up sooner or later. Big Bill’s Flops or Bad Bob’s Chops or whatever the thing was called will soon be relegated to the dusty corners of peoples’ minds. Yesterday’s fish and chip paper; that’s what you’ve got to remember.

Anyway, it could’ve been worse Amy. I mean look on the bright side, at least no one saw it.

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