Round-up of news and treats and other interesting things

National treasure Matthew Kelly and West End superstar Josefina Gabrielle are to star in the brand-new stage adaptation of The Box of Delights, possibly the creepiest children's tv show ever and one which is indeliby etched on my psyche. This original production is the first time Poet Laureate John Masefield’s festive classic has been reimagined for the stage, and will be brought to life by an ensemble cast in the gloriously Christmassy surroundings of Wilton’s Music Hall.

Joining Kelly and Gabrielle as part of the stellar cast will be Mark Extance, Safiyya Ingar, Tom Kanji, Samuel Simmonds, Rosalind Steele and Alistair Toovey.

Jo Brand has been announced as the headline act for a charity comedy night at Richmond Theatre. The evening of comedy will raise funds for national charity SeeAbility and features Adam Hills, host of Channel 4's The Last Leg and Live at the Apollo regular, Seann Walsh.

Richmond Theatre will host ‘Stand Up for SeeAbility' on Monday 30th October, where Jo Brand will also be joined by Sally Phillips from Bridget Jones's Diary and award-winner Mark Simmons, as well as Sarah Louise Keegan and John Moloney. It will all be introduced by former Paralympian, Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE.

SeeAbility is a 200-year-old charity with strong local roots to Richmond. They provide extraordinary support for people with learning disabilities and autism across Surrey and the South of England, and champion eye care for adults and children with learning disabilities.


The critically acclaimed (not least by yours truly) production of The Grinning Man, directed by Tony award-winning Tom Morris (War Horse) and based on the classic Victor Hugo (Les Misérables) novel, The Man Who Laughs, will take over Studio 1 at Trafalgar Studios from 5 December, following a hugely successful autumn 2016 premiere at Bristol Old Vic. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 11 October.

This romantic gothic musical love story, set in a fantastical world with a dark heart, is brought to life by Kneehigh writer Carl Grose (Dead Dog in a Suitcase) and “powered by an outstanding score” (Sunday Times) by Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler. And in great news, the cast is led once again by Louis Maskell (2016 Best Actor in a Musical fosterIAN winner), in the title role of Grinpayne, and Julian Bleach (2016 Best Supporting Actor in a Musical fosterIAN winner), who plays Barkilphedro, a vengeful clown with a heart of lead. 

Lead casting has been announced for a 2018 UK tour of Terence Rattigan’s classic family drama, The Winslow Boy - directed by Olivier Award-nominated Rachel Kavanaugh. Tessa Peake-Jones (Only Fools and Horses, Grantchester) stars as Grace Winslow wife of Arthur Winslow, played by the swoonworthy Aden Gillett (House of Eliott, Holby City), the father who embarks on an extraordinary campaign for justice for his son.

The tour opens at Chichester Festival Theatre on February 8th 2018 and sees Mark Goucher once again present a classic drama straight from seasons at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Birmingham Rep. The Winslow Boy follows acclaimed productions of The Kings Speech and Single Spies (the latter also directed by Kavanaugh). The production is set to visit other leading UK drama houses including Bath Theatre Royal, Oxford Playhouse, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Salford Lowry, Cheltenham Everyman Theatre, Brighton Theatre Royal, Belfast Grand Opera House, Richmond Theatre and Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre.

And just in case you were wondering what Harry Hadden-Paton is up to (and quite frankly, who isn't), well of course he's making his NY stage debut in the Lincoln Center revival of My Fair Lady as Henry Higgins opposite Lauren Ambrose as Eliza Doolittle, Norbert Leo Butz as Alfie Doolittle, and Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs Higgins, aka the Menier Christmas musical I would have liked to see.

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