Musical first as Callow joins Woman in White

Published Tuesday 2 August 2005 at 15:20 by Alistair Smith

Simon Callow is to make his West End musical debut playing Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White from August 29.

Callow, most famous for his appearances in non-musical theatre, film and television, has appeared as Fosco before, in the 1997 BBC adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ novel. He will be joined at the Palace Theatre by Ruthie Henshall, who will appear as Marian. The cast changes mark the production’s first birthday.

The show’s American production will open on Broadway on November 17 at the Marquis Theatre, produced by Boyett Ostar Productions. The London show is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and the Really Useful Theatre Company. It is currently booking until April 1, 2006.

• Richard Griffiths, John Hurt and Ken Stott will star in Heroes, a new play by Gerald Sibleyras adapted by Tom Stoppard.

The production will open at the Wyndham’s Theatre on October 18 for a limited 14-week season. It will be directed by Thea Sharrock, artistic director of the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill. It is produced by David Pugh, Dafydd Rogers and the Shubert Organisation.

• Tara Fitzgerald is to play Vera Claythorne in a new production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Following previews from October 14, the show will open at the Gielgud theatre on October 25. Graham Crowden, Richard Johnson and Gemma Jones will also feature in the cast. The play is in a new version adapted by Kevin Elyot and will be directed by Steven Pimlott. It is produced by Act Productions, Nelle Nugent, Michael Gardner and Karl Sydow.