Theatre

West End Wilma: Kinky Boots, Aladdin, Kenneth Branagh & more theatre news

Get the latest theatre news from our blogger West End Wilma…

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Hello dears,

It’s exactly one month until Christmas Day, which means its time to start thinking about trees, decorations and buying presents. I usually try to buy people trips to the theatre so that I can unashamedly go along with them! Shows I want to go and see again that I might buy as presents include Miss Saigon, Les Misérables and Kinky Boots – friends on mine beware, one of those shows may be coming your way!

Good news! My Christmas cards have arrived. Now I just need to make a list of everyone I want to send them to and get them written; that’s a job for this weekend I think.

Anyway, on with this week’s theatre news…

The 2016 Evening Standard Awards took place last weekend at the Old Vic Theatre and the winners were (unsurprisingly) a who’s who of national press darlings including Nicole Kidman, Gemma Arterton and a string of National Theatre and Royal Court productions. Quite how the winners are decided for these awards is a hot topic on social media right now but at least the Best Musical (which went to Kinky Boots), which was voted for by the public and was a very worthy winner!

Kinky Boots London

Photo: Matt Crockett

Broadway legend, Bernadette Peters has announced she will play her first UK solo concerts in over 15 years in June 2016, with one date in London (Royal Festival Hall on 3 June) and one in Manchester (Opera House on 5 June). Bernadette is famously known for originating roles in Into the Woods and Sunday In The Park With George and headlined recent Broadway revivals of A Little Night Music and Follies.

The full cast has been announced for the UK premiere of Aladdin the Musical which will open in London in May 2016 at the Prince Edward Theatre (replacing Miss Saigon which will close in February). Dean John-Wilson will star as Aladdin with Jade Even as Jasmine. Aladdin will be Disney’s fifth West End production after Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Lion King (now in its 17th year) and most recently, Shakespeare In Love. Tickets have gone on sale this week and is currently booking 27 May – 1 October 2016.

Disney's Aladdin

As mentioned above, Miss Saigon will close at the Prince Edward theatre on 27 February 2016. It has been announced that the show will open on Broadway in Spring 2017 and London cast members Jon Jon Briones and Eva Noblezada will open the show there. At least they wont be going on their own which will be nice. I wonder if either of them will do anything else in London before going to Broadway?

Watch: Miss Saigon’s Jon Jon Briones and Eva Noblezada meet Ticketmaster

The sold out run of A Winters Tale at the Garrick Theatre, starring Judi Dench will be screened in cinemas worldwide tomorrow (Thursday 26 November 2015). The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption, which opened to critical acclaim at London’s Garrick Theatre on 7 November, is reimagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh. Judi Dench plays Paulina opposite Kenneth Branagh as Leontes. Broadcasts of Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer, also from the current Kenneth Branagh Theatre Season will be screened next year. 

Speak to you all next week!

Wilma xx

West End Wilma
www.westendwilma.com