Production news round-up: Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders to star in Sister Act and Jessica Chastain to lead A Doll's House

This week’s production news round-up includes an announcement that Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders will star in West End musical Sister Act, Jessica Chastain will lead a new production of A Doll’s House and Ronald Harewood’s The Dresser will embark on a UK tour starring Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly.

Musicals

Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders are to star in the West End musical Sister Act, running at the Eventim Apollo from July 29 to August 30, 2020. The production is to tour the UK prior to its London run.
Author: Bill and Cheri Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane (book), Alan Menken (music), Glenn Slater (lyrics)
Director: Bill Buckhurst Design: Morgan Large, Tim Mitchell (lighting) and Tom Marshall (sound) Producers: Jamie Wilson, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders to star in Sister Act

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Evita is to transfer to the Barbican next year as part of the venue’s new season. The season also features two productions directed by Ivo van Hove; The Glass Menagerie starring Isabelle Huppert and Death in Venice.

Lizzie Bea is to star as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray the Musical, with Marisha Wallace taking the role of Motormouth. They join Michael Ball, who has previously been announced to play Edna Turnblad in the show. Hairspray runs at the London Coliseum from April 23, 2020 for 18 weeks.
Press night is April 29.
Authors: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan (book), Marc Shaiman (music), Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (lyrics)
Director: Jack O’Brien
Producers: Adam Spiegel Productions and Fiery Angel

Lizzie Bea and Marisha Wallace join Hairspray cast

Clarke Peters will direct Giles Terera in a workshop production of Leslie Bricusse’s musical Sammy. The workshop will be presented in London on October 31 to an invited audience of producers, theatre owners and investors.
Author: Leslie Bricusse
Producers: Anthology Theatre Productions and Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment

Clarke Peters to direct Giles Terera in workshop production of Sammy

Hannah Tointon will join the West End cast of Waitress the musical in the role of Dawn, from December 2. The musical is booking at the Adelphi Theatre until March 28, 2020.
Authors: Jessie Nelson (book), Sara Bareilles (music and lyrics)
Director: Diane Paulus Cast includes: Sandra Marvin, David Hunter, Tamlyn Henderson and Andrew Boyer
Producers: American Repertory Theatre, Barry and Fran Weissler, Norton and Elayne Herrick, Alecia Parker, David I Berley, Feste Investments BV, Peter May, Evamere Entertainment, Tamar Climan, Michael Roiff, Ken Schur, 42nd Club, Square 1 Theatrics, Jam Theatricals and Adam Blanshay Productions

Musical comedy Operation Mincemeat is set to transfer to Southwark Playhouse for a limited run from January 4 to 11, 2020.
Authors: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts
Design: Helen Coyston (set and costume), Sherry Coenen (lighting), Dan Balfour (sound)
Musical director: Felix Hagan
Producer: Splitlip

Plays

Jessica Chastain will star in a new production of A Doll’s House, running from June 10 to September 5, 2020 at the Playhouse. The production is part of the Jamie Lloyd Company‘s West End season. Further casting is yet to be announced.
Authors: Henrik Ibsen, Frank McGuinness (adaptation)
Producer: Ambassador Theatre Group

Jessica Chastain to star in A Doll’s House

The Almeida has announced its new spring 2020 season, which features a four-week run of Mike Bartlett’s Albion directed by Rupert Goold, the world premiere of Beth Steel’s The House of Shades, directed by Blanche McIntyre, and the UK premiere of Daddy by Jeremy O Harris, directed by Danya Taymor.

Maya Arad Yasur‘s Amsterdam is set to embark on its UK tour, opening at Theatre Royal Plymouth on February 27 2020. Other venues on the tour include Glasgow’s Tron Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre, and Bath Theatre Royal, where the tour concludes on May 29, 2020.

Hampstead Theatre has confirmed full casting for the world premiere of Ravens: Spassky vs Fischer. The play runs at the venue from November 29 to January 18, 2020, with a press night on December 5.
Author: Tom Morton-Smith
Director: Annabelle Comyn
Cast includes: Ronan Raftery, Robert Emms, Gunnar Cauthery, Simon Chandler, Buffy Davis, Philip Desmeules
Producer: Hampstead Theatre

The cast for the London premiere of Snowflake at London’s Kiln Theatre has been announced, and will run for an extended period from December 10 to January 25, 2020.
Author: Mike Bartlett
Director: Clare Lizzimore
Cast includes: Amber James, Elliot Levy and Ellen Robertson
Design: Jeremy Herbert, Jessica Hung Han Yun (lighting), Elena Peña (sound)
Producers: Kiln Theatre and Fictional Company

Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly will star in a UK tour of The Dresser, previewing at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre, before transferring to Theatre Royal Bath from September 21 with a press night on September 23, 2020. Tour dates and venues are yet to be confirmed.
Author: Ronald Harewood
Director: Terry Johnson
Design: Terry Shortall Producers: Theatre Royal Bath and Everyman Theatre Cheltenham

Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly to star in UK tour of The Dresser

Theatre Royal Bath has announced three UK premieres at the Ustinov Studio, featuring Wild Goose Dreams by Hansol Jung, running from November 21 to December 21, The Realistic Joneses by Will Eno and Test Match by Kate Attwell.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has confirmed its 2020 spring season, which includes a co-production with Derby Theatre of Macbeth, a world premiere of Maggie May by Frances Poet, and the world premiere of new musical Love Letters by Douglas Rintoul.

Full casting has been announced for Teenage Dick, which runs at the Donmar Warehouse from December 6 to February 1, 2020. Callum Adams, Alice Hewkin, Siena Kelly and Ruth Madeley join the previously announced Daniel Monks and Susan Wokoma.
Author: Mike Lew
Director: Michael Longhurst
Design: Chloe Lamford, Sinéad McKenna (lighting), Ben and Max Ringham (sound) Andrzej Goulding, Claira Vaughan (choreographer)
Producer: the Donmar Warehouse

Sonia Friedman Productions has announced that Jenna Augen, Adrian Scarborough and Ed Stoppard are among the cast of Leopoldstadt, which has its world premiere on February 12, 2020 in the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre. The play is booking until June 13, 2020.
Author: Tom Stoppard
Director: Patrick Marber
Design: Richard Hudson (set), Brigitte Reiffenstuel (costumes), Neil Austin (lighting), Adam cork (sound and original music), EJ Boyle (movement)
Producers: Gavin Kalin Productions, Scott Rudin, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Scott M Delman/Patrick Gracey in association with Rupert Gavin, 1,001 Nights Productions, Nica Burns, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W Edgerton, Eilene Davidson Productions, Richard Winkler

Other

York Theatre Royal’s Take Over Festival, which is now in its 10th year, will run at the venue from October 28 to November 2. This year’s programme, which focuses on climate change, includes a relaxed reading of Nick Payne’s play Constellations, a show from comedian Jen Brister about privilege, an evening with drag collective Haus of Dench and a new comedy musical by Tom Williams and Cordelia O’Driscoll.

Ruthie Henshall is set to tour Ireland and the UK with a new musical show In My Life, in which she performs highlights from her career. The show opens at the Lowry on April 11, 2020 and closes on April 30 at Dublin’s Helix.