Production news round-up: The Lion King to tour the UK and Tina Turner musical extends

Updates from this week includes a West End extension for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, a brand new UK and Ireland tour of The Lion King and Matthew Broderick’s West End debut.

Musicals
The Lion King has announced it is setting out on a new tour of the UK and Ireland this year, as the musical celebrates 20 years in the West End. The Lion King has toured the UK just once before, from 2012 to 2015, and a new production will open at the Bristol Hippodrome in September, moving on to Edinburgh’s Playhouse in December. Further cities are yet to be announced.
Authors: Elton John (music), Tim Rice (lyrics), Lebo M, Julie Taymor, Mark Mancina (music)
Director: Julie Taymor
Producer: Disney Theatrical Productions
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Tina – The Tina Turner Musical has extended its booking period in the West End until December 21. Stars Adrienne Warren and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith will continue in their roles of Tina and Ike Turner until April 13, when a new cast will take the show into its second year at the Aldwych Theatre.
Authors: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins (book)
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Producers: Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner
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Six has extended booking at the Arts Theatre until 2020, meaning the musical’s run at the London venue will stretch to nearly a year. The pop musical about the wives of Henry VIII will run until January 5, 2020.
Authors: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss (music and lyrics)
Director: Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage
Producers: Kenny Wax, Global Musicals, George Stiles
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Caroline Sheen will replace Louise Redknapp in the West End production of 9 to 5 the Musical when it opens at the Savoy Theatre next month. Redknapp was forced to delay her appearance in the show due to injury, and the role of Violet Newstead will be played by Sheen from January 28 to the end of March.
Authors: Dolly Parton (music and lyrics), Patricia Resnick (book)
Director: Jeff Calhoun
Producer: Ambassador Theatre Group and Selladoor Worldwide with Gavin Kalin Productions, Glass Half Full Productions, Showtime Theatre Productions, Hartshorn-Hook Productions and Kilimanjaro Live
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Musical theatre stars Louise Dearman, Rob Houchen, Luke Bayer and Laura Pitt-Pulford are to appear as part of a late-night concert series at the Other Palace in London. Night Caps is part of MT Fest UK, which is a two-week festival of new musical theatre work running from February 11 to February 23. Others in the Night Cap series include Nathan Amzi, Evelyn Hoskins, Emma Kingston, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Claudia Kariuki.
Producer: Paul Taylor-Mills
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Plays
Matthew Broderick is to make his West End debut in The Starry Messenger by Kenneth Lonergan, which will also star Elizabeth McGovern. The play runs for 13 weeks at Wyndham’s Theatre from May 16, with a press night on May 29.
Director: Sam Yates
Design: Chiara Stephenson (set and costume), Alex Baranowski (sound and music)
Producers: Simon Friend, Act Productions, Gavin Kalin and Howard Panter
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War Horse is to return to London for a run in new venue Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. The new space, from the team behind the King’s Cross Theatre, will open in the summer, with War Horse playing there from October 18 to November 23, as part of its UK tour. The inaugural production at the theatre, which will be a flexible space that can seat up to 2,000, has yet to be announced. The NT has also announced that Inua Ellams’ Barber Shop Chronicles is to return to London, with a run at the Roundhouse in Camden, from July 18 to August 24.
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Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson are to star in the 2019 tour of Art, by Yasmina Reza. It opens at Chichester Festival Theatre on January 24.
Director: Ellie Jones
Design: Mark Thompson (set), Hugh Vanstone (lighting), Mic Pool (sound)
Producers: David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers

The cast has been announced for the West End transfer of Emilia. Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce and Clare Perkins will play Emilia, at different stages in her life. The all-female cast also includes Nadia Albina, Anna Andresen, Jackie Clune, Jenni Maitland, Carolyn Pickles, Sarah Seggari, Sophie Stone, Charity Wakefield, Amanda Wilkin and Tanika Yearwood. The play runs at the Vaudeville Theatre from March 8 to June 15.
Author: Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Director: Nicole Charles
Producers: Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Kate Pakenham, Nica Burns and Eilene Davidson

Amanda Abbington will star in Florian Zeller’s The Son at the Kiln Theatre. She will appear alongside Laurie Kynaston, John Light, Oseloka Obi, Amaka Okafor and Martin Turner. The Son runs from February 20 to April 6, with press night on February 26.
Author: Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton (adaptation)
Director: Michael Longhurst
Producer: Kiln Theatre

Full casting has been announced for Trevor Nunn’s production of Agnes Colander, An Attempt At Life, at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Naomi Frederick will reprise the leading role, which she played when the production ran in Bath last year, and will be joined Matthew Flynn, Harry Lister-Smith and Cindy-Jane Armbruster. It runs from February 12 to March 16, with press night on February 15.
Author: Harley Granville Barker
Design: Robert Jones (set), Paul Pyant (lighting), Fergus O’Hare (sound)
Music: Steve Edis
Producer: David Adkin

Jonathan Hyde, Ben Allen and Harry Lawtey will appear in Martin Sherman’s new play Gently Down the Stream at the Park Theatre. The production runs from February 13 to March 16 with press night on February 18.
Director: Sean Mathias
Design: Lee Newby (set), Jamie Platt (lighting), Lex Kosanke (sound and music)
Producer: Robert Fox and Alex Turner in association with Park Theatre and King’s Head Theatre

The cast has been announced for The Rubenstein Kiss at Southwark Playhouse. Ruby Bentall will star as the title character with the cast also including Henry Proffit, Sean Rigby and Stephen Billington. The company is completed by Dario Coates, Katie Eldred and Eva-Jane Willis, while the play runs from March 14 to April 13. Press night is on March 18.
Author: James Phillips
Director: Joe Harmston
Producer: Devil You Know Theatre Company