This week's production news includes initial casting of Evita from Regent's Park Open Air theatre as well as the Watermill Theatre in Newbury's latest season.

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Samantha Pauly will play Eva Peron in Evita

This week’s production news includes initial casting of Evita from Regent’s Park Open Air theatre as well as the Watermill Theatre in Newbury’s latest season.

Musicals

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced principal casting for its production of Evita, with Samantha Pauly and Ektor Rivera making their UK debuts in Evita in the roles of Eva Peron and Juan Peron. Other casting for Evita, which is directed by Jamie Lloyd and runs from August 2 to September 21, includes Trent Saunders and Frances Mayli McCann. Regent’s Park also announced principle casting for the return of Jesus Christ Superstar, which includes Robert Tripolino and Ricardo Afonso in the lead roles of Jesus and Judas.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announces lead casting for Evita

Selladoor has announced the UK premiere of Falsettos, which will run at the Other Palace in London from August 30 to November 23.
Authors: William Finn (music, lyrics and book) and James Lapine (book)
Producer: Selladoor Worldwide

The Watermill Theatre in Newbury has announced a new season of work that will include productions of musicals Kiss Me, Kate, Assassins and The Prince and the Pauper, which has been adapted for the venue’s Christmas slot. The Watermill’s ensemble will also perform a 75-minute version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – titled A Mini Summer Night’s Dream – which will also visit schools. It will be directed by Robert Kirby and has been adapted by Danielle Pearson.

Kiss Me, Kate and Assassins to feature in new season at Newbury’s Watermill Theatre

Full casting has been announced for the UK and Ireland tour of Grease, which is the first new production of the musical in 25 years. The musical opens at Leeds Grand Theatre and tours to Southend, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Dublin, Oxford, Bromley and Cardiff, where it runs until October 19. Cast members join the previously announced Peter Andre.
Authors: Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Director: Nikolai Foster
Cast includes: Dan Partridge, Martha Kirby, Louis Gaunt, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, Jordan Abey, Ryan Anderson, Damian Buhagiar, Eloise Davies, Natalie Woods and Tara Sweeting
Producers: Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, William Sinclair, Ricardo Marques, Hunter Arnold and Curve

Plays

Miriam Margolyes, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Disney star Meaghan Martin are among the actors who will appear in the new season at London’s Park Theatre. Margolyes and Mark Hadfield will play a mother and son in the premiere of Eugene O’Hare’s black comedy Sydney and the Old Girl, which will be directed by Phillip Breen. Oberman will also portray a mother in Evan Placey’s Mother of Him, about a single Jewish mother whose son is under house arrest. The production will be directed by Max Lindsay.

Miriam Margolyes and Tracy-Ann Oberman to star in new Park Theatre season

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate Theatre has announced the world premiere of The Pope by Anthony McCarten, which is the inspiration behind a film of the same name that will appear on Netflix later this year. It will run from June 8 to 22, with press night on June 12.
Director: James Dacre
Design: Jonathan Fensom (set and costume), Charles Balfour (lighting)
Producers: Royal and Derngate and Anthology theatre in association with Tara Finney Productions

National Youth Theatre has announced its Summer/Autumn 2019 season, which includes nine productions. Highlights include NYT commissions Luke Barnes’ Lost Boys, which will tour Liverpool and Community Venues, F-Off by Tatty Hennessy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Asif Khan‘s Imaam Imraan and The Astronaut Wives Club at Latitude Festival. The NYT Rep Company will return with a season at Southwark Playhouse, which includes an adaptation of Frankenstein and the London premiere of Neil Bartlett’s Great Expectations.

Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon are to star in the stage premiere of The Man in the White Suit, which will run in Bath later this year before transferring to the West End. The Man in the White Suit runs in Bath from September 5 to 21, and in the West End from September 26 to January 11. Press night will be on October 8.
Author: Sean Foley
Producers: Jenny King, Jonathan Church, Matthew Gale and Mark Goucher, by special arrangement with Studio Canal

Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon to star in The Man in the White Suit

How to Keep Time, a play exploring the effects of dementia on speech, is to tour the UK from April 27 to October 19, following a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018. It opens at Nonsuch Studios in Nottingham, with press night at Rich Mix in London on May 23.
Author: Antosh Wojcik
Director: Yael Shavit
Producer: Penned in the Margins

The Play That Goes Wrong has extended its booking period in the West End by more than six months. Mischief Theatre’s production was previously booking at the Duchess Theatre until October 27 and will now run until May 3, 2020.
Authors: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
Director: Mark Bell

The Play That Goes Wrong extends West End run by six months

London’s Hampstead Theatre has announced Cash Cow by Oli Forsyth, directed by Katie Pesskin, as its next Downstairs show. Cash Cow, which explores parents who are pushing for their child to become a tennis champion, runs from June 14 to July 20. The theatre has also announced full casting for the return of Roy Williams’ The Firm, which includes Ray Fearon, Makir Ahmed, George Eggay, Jay Simpson and Clarence Smith.

Ovalhouse Theatre in London has announced its summer season, which includes Urbain Hayo’s Custody. There will also be two full-length production of works that originated with the theatre’s First Bites festival; Bella Heesom’s celebration of female sexuality Rejoicing at Her Wondrous Vulva the Young Woman Applauded Herself and Grey by Koko Brown.

National Theatre of Wales has announced a UK and Ireland tour of the play Cotton Fingers, which will open in Belfast on May 23 before touring to Londonderry, Dublin and Bray.
Author: Amy Molloy
Director: Julia Thomas
Producer: National Theatre Wales

London’s Yard Theatre has announced two premieres from US writers. Armadillo by Sarah Kosar, directed by Sara Joyce, will run from May 30 to June 22. Dates for Dirty Crusty by Clare Barron, directed by Jay Miller, are to be announced.

Morna Young is to have the world premiere of her play Lost At Sea, inspired by the loss of her fisherman father, at Perth Theatre from April 25 to May 4. It will then tour Scotland until May 24, visiting Dundee, Aberdeen, Greenock, Inverness, Edinburgh and Dumfries.
Director: Ian Brown
Producers: Perth theatre at Horsecross Arts and Morna Young

Other

Cirque du Soleil is to return to London’s Royal Albert Hall with its production of Luzia, described as “a waking dream of Mexico”. It runs from January 12 to February 16, 2020.
Author and director: Daniele Finzi Pasca