Thursday, 9 October 2025
Cats: The Jellicle Ball Returns to Broadway in 2026 with André De Shields
Broadway’s about to get feline again. The acclaimed revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball will arrive at the Broadhurst Theatre in March 2026, with previews from 18 March and an opening night on 7 April.
After wowing audiences at PAC NYC, directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch return with their vibrant reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, inspired by New York’s Ballroom culture.
Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winner André De Shields reprises his celebrated role as Old Deuteronomy, joined by returning cast members Jonathan Burke, Sydney James Harcourt, Tempress Chasity Moore, Robert “Silk” Mason, and many others.
The creative team features Rachel Hauck (scenic design), Qween Jean (costumes), Adam Honoré (lighting), Kai Harada (sound), and Nikiya Mathis (hair and wig design). The show is produced by Michael Harrison and Mike Bosner for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals.
Tickets go on general sale 16 October 2025.
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Emma Kingston to Lead the Global Wicked Singalong Live from The O2 with Young Voices
Young Voices are thrilled to announce that Emma Kingston, one of the West End’s most dynamic and versatile leading ladies, will headline the Wicked Worldwide Singalong on Thursday 22 January 2026, broadcast live from The O2 in London.
Currently starring as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked, Emma has captivated audiences with her soaring vocals and magnetic stage presence. Hand-picked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Eva Perón in the international tour of Evita, her credits also include In the Heights, Heathers: The Musical, Fiddler on the Roof and Les Misérables, establishing her as a true global theatre star.
At the Wicked Worldwide Singalong, Emma will lead hundreds of thousands of young singers around the world in a specially arranged Wicked Medley, celebrating the show’s timeless messages of friendship, courage, and self-belief.
“We are over the moon to have Emma join us for this special event,” said Ben Lewis, CEO of Young Voices. “Her talent and energy will inspire every child and choir taking part across the globe.”
Emma added:
“It’s an incredible honour to be part of the global Wicked Singalong. Knowing that children everywhere will be singing together with me in real time is magical—a true celebration of how music unites us.”
The Wicked Worldwide Singalong will connect schools and choirs across continents through a live broadcast from The O2, allowing participants everywhere to join simultaneously for free. Registered schools receive exclusive learning materials, including sheet music from Hal Leonard, rehearsal tracks, and classroom resources from Twinkl and Wicked.
📅 Date: Thursday 22 January 2026
🕒 Time: 3 pm GMT / 10 am ET / 7 am PT
🎟️ Sign up for free: youngvoices.co.uk/join-wicked-worldwide-singalong
National Theatre Announces Exciting 2026 Season with New Productions in London and New York
The National Theatre has unveiled further details about its 2026 season, marking a bold next chapter in the vision of Co-Chief Executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah to make world-class theatre accessible to audiences everywhere.
Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie will lead two major productions in spring 2026. In London, he directs Nina Raine and Moses Raine’s new adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Summerfolk in the Olivier Theatre, a sharp, satirical look at class and complacency. Across the Atlantic, Hastie’s acclaimed production of Hamlet will transfer to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), the first show in a new partnership that will see National Theatre productions transfer to BAM’s Harvey Theater and National Theatre Live screenings hosted at BAM’s Rose Cinemas.
Alongside performances, the National Theatre’s Learning team will collaborate with BAM on its (Re) Centering Theater) programme, giving Brooklyn students the opportunity to create, develop, and perform new work inspired by Hamlet. A free exhibition at BAM’s Rudin Family Gallery will also explore the legacy of Hamlet at both BAM and the National Theatre.
This collaboration with BAM and The Shed strengthens the National Theatre’s long-standing relationship with the US, celebrating 60 years of international productions. Further details about upcoming projects with The Shed will be announced soon.
“It feels deeply fitting to bring Hamlet to BAM next spring, especially as we mark 60 years of staging productions in the US”
said Indhu Rubasingham, Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre.
Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive, added:
“Our goal is simple yet bold- to make world-class theatre accessible to everyone, everywhere. Through new partnerships with BAM, The Shed, and the Educational Theatre Association, we’re reaching thousands of schools and streaming our productions into homes across the US. This is theatre without borders.”
National Theatre 2026 Productions
Olivier Theatre: Summerfolk
From 6 March to 29 April 2026, Robert Hastie directs a fresh adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Summerfolk by Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart). Set in 1905 Russia, it follows a group of privileged friends whose summer of indulgence masks a looming storm of social change. The creative team includes Peter McKintosh (set and costume), Paul Pyant (lighting), and Nicola T. Chang (composer).
Lyttelton Theatre: Les Liaisons Dangereuses
From 21 March to 6 June 2026, Marianne Elliott (Angels in America) returns to direct a powerful new revival of Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ classic novel. The cast includes Lesley Manville, Aidan Turner, Monica Barbaro, and Gabrielle Drake, in a dazzling exploration of love, manipulation, and power.
Dorfman Theatre: Man and Boy
From 30 January to 14 March 2026, Anthony Lau (The Crucible) makes his National Theatre debut with Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy, starring Ben Daniels and Laurie Kynaston. Set in 1930s New York, this gripping tale of ambition and betrayal follows a financier facing ruin during the Great Depression.
Dorfman Theatre: The Authenticator
From 26 March to 9 May 2026, award-winning writer Winsome Pinnock (Leave Taking) reunites with director Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman) for The Authenticator, a gothic psychological thriller starring Rakie Ayola, Sylvestra Le Touzel, and Cherrelle Skeete. Set in a mysterious country estate, it explores buried secrets, artistic legacy, and truth’s dark corners.
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York: Hamlet
From 19 April to 17 May 2026, Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) reprises his role as Hamlet in Robert Hastie’s acclaimed production at BAM’s Harvey Theater. This bold interpretation of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy launches the National Theatre’s new partnership with BAM, bringing British theatre excellence to New York audiences.
Tickets for all 2026 National Theatre productions go on general sale from 23 October 2025.
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Macbeth-Inspired Pop Musical Weird Unveils Creative Team Ahead of 2026 Premiere
A bold new British musical is on its way. Weird, a contemporary, pop-driven reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, will premiere at the Newcastle Theatre Royal from 28–31 January 2026.
Created by Nick Butcher, Kerri Watt, and Fraser Watt, Weird retells the classic tragedy through the eyes of the three witches, blending Shakespeare’s dark magic with a modern pop soundtrack.
Directed by Tim Jackson (Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York) and choreographed by Alexzandra Sarmiento (42 Balloons), the production boasts a powerhouse creative team including Andrew Exeter (set design), Gabriella Slade (Starlight Express, costume design), Howard Hudson (Great Comet of 1812, lighting), Paul Gatehouse (Mary Poppins, sound), and Joe Beighton (Six the Musical, orchestrations).
Tickets for Weird sold out months in advance, but due to overwhelming demand, a limited number of additional seats for the Friday 30 January matinee will be released today.
In an inspiring educational partnership, over 5,000 schoolchildren from across the North East will attend free weekday performances, thanks to producer Michael Harrison and Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Casting will be announced soon.
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan to star in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind at the Duke of York’s Theatre
The West End will get a dose of sharp wit and emotional depth this Christmas as Sheridan Smith stars in a brand-new revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. The acclaimed psychological comedy opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 9 December 2025 to 28 February 2026, before touring to Sunderland Empire (4–7 March 2026) and Theatre Royal Glasgow (10–14 March 2026).
Smith returns to the Duke of York’s following her sell-out run in Shirley Valentine; in Woman in Mind, she takes on the role of Susan, a woman whose reality fractures after a head injury, leading her to navigate two worlds: one mundane and one imagined. As the boundaries blur, Ayckbourn’s trademark humour and heartbreak come vividly to life.
Joining Smith in the cast are Romesh Ranganathan as Bill, Louise Brealey as Muriel, Tim McMullan as Gerald, Sule Rimi as Andy, Chris Jenks as Tony, Safia Oakley-Green as Lucy, and Taylor Uttley as Rick. Katie Buchholz and Michael Woolfitt complete the ensemble.
Ranganathan, making his professional stage debut, said:
“I’m honoured to be stepping onstage for the first time since primary school alongside the incredible Sheridan Smith and company. It’s both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. Woman in Mind is an amazing play, and I can’t wait to help bring it to life- especially as I’m playing a doctor, which might finally make my mum proud!”
Directed by Michael Longhurst, the production features set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting by Lee Curran, sound by Paul Arditti, and casting by Jim Carnahan and Liz Fraser. It is produced by Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions.
Tickets are on sale now for what promises to be one of the most exciting West End productions of winter 2025.
The Lost Boys Musical Announces Broadway Premiere and Star-Studded Cast
Broadway is about to go darkly rock-and-roll. The highly anticipated musical adaptation of The Lost Boys, inspired by the 1987 cult vampire film, will begin previews at the Palace Theatre on 27 March 2026, ahead of an opening night on 26 April.
The cast is led by Caissie Levy as Lucy Emerson, alongside LJ Benet as Michael, Ali Louis Bourzgui as David, Benjamin Pajak as Sam, and Maria Wirries as Star. Rounding out the company are Paul Alexander Nolan, Jennifer Duka, Miguel Gil, Brian Flores, Sean Grandillo, and Dean Maupin.
Based on the original screenplay by James Jeremias, Janice Fischer, and James Boam, the new Broadway musical The Lost Boys tells the story of two teenage brothers who discover their new California town is overrun by vampires. The stage version features a book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, and an electrifying rock score by The Rescues.
Tony Award winner Michael Arden directs, bringing his signature cinematic flair to the gothic world of Santa Carla. The creative team includes Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant (choreography), Ethan Popp (music supervision), Dane Laffrey (set and video design), Ryan Park (costumes), Jen Schriever (lighting), and Adam Fisher (sound). Aerial effects are by Billy Mulholland and Gwyneth Larsen.
Prepare for a new kind of Broadway bite- The Lost Boys promises blood, rebellion, and unforgettable rock anthems.
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