The cast and crew of Mamma Mia have been “let go” amid news that the show is set to remain closed for the foreseeable future, due to the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. The show’s closure has come after news from the government that social distancing will continue through to November, with no date yet […]Read More
Last Friday, the longlist for the first winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting was revealed. The scheme was created by Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough last year, in order to showcase aspiring female playwrights. Keel and Plough’s longlist will be reduced into a shortlist with careful consideration from their expert judging panel in […]Read More
Just last week, we announced that Phantom of the Opera was closing after thirty-four years, but this week, the Phantom saga has continued. Andrew Lloyd Webber responded to news of the show’s closure saying: “As far as I’m concerned Phantom will reopen as soon as it is possible”. It now appears that Lloyd Webber was […]Read More
Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of the hit musical Cats, has criticised the recent film adaption of the show. Lloyd Webber originally based the musical on T.S Eliot’s poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939). Months on from the widely criticised film, Lloyd Webber largely blamed film director Tom Hooper for its failure. In an interview […]Read More
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused at least 5,000 jobs to be lost in the theatre industry. Figures collated by the BECTU trade union shows that the number of layoffs and redundancies in the theatre industry have risen to 5,000. It was only a month ago that the government announced their £1.57 billion support package, and […]Read More
Two venues in the 2017 City of Culture have revealed that their doors will remain closed “for the foreseeable future”. Hull New Theatre and Hull City Hall, which see thousands of visitors every year, are considered to be key contributors to the city’s “newfound vibrancy”. Both venues are overseen by Hull Culture and Leisure (HCAL), […]Read More
Concerns about whether this year’s pantomime season will be able to go ahead have been raised following a statement from UK Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden. Last week, Dowden revealed that November is the earliest that theatres are likely to be offered a date for reopening their doors to the public. Whilst outdoor performances with social […]Read More
Following the government’s unveiling of the Culture Recovery Fund, which offers grants for artists and venues for up to £3 million, Arts Council England have now provided more details on how to apply for this life-changing funding, which is designed to support artists and companies who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. This scheme, […]Read More
It has been announced that theatres will not find out before November when they are able to reopen without complying with the social distancing rules. In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the culture secretary (Oliver Dowden) said that indoor performances without social distancing rules in place will only resume once “safe to […]Read More
Emmy-winning actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Oscar-winning phenomenon Olivia Colman, have joined forces to help save theatres with the new initiative, The Theatre Community Fund. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, and the subsequent lock-down that led to the closure of places of entertainment, theatres were forced to close their doors to their loyal audiences. As a […]Read More
Adam Blanshay, of Adam Blanshay Productions, and Ryan Woods, of The Theatre Café, are working together to create a new musical theatre web series called The Theatre Channel. The pilot episode is scheduled to premiere this September, with a season of nine further episodes set to follow. Episode one already has some very exciting musical […]Read More
The second longest running musical in the West End, Phantom of The Opera, is closing after thirty-four years, due to financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The news comes as a stark reminder of the damaging situation theatres up and down the country face as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown. The closure of […]Read More
The National Theatre has begun it’s process of modelling reconfigured spaces in preparation for socially distanced shows. Throughout the lockdown period, The National Theatre streamed sixteen productions on YouTube for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes. Now that the government have announced outdoor performances can go ahead, the next step is […]Read More
Alan Menken, the composer and lyricist behind the scores for huge musical theatre shows, such as Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act and Newsies, picked up an Emmy over the weekend. This has made him only the 16th person ever to achieve an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony) in his career! Other EGOT winners […]Read More
Actress and creator of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has publicly discussed the “the cloud that has crept over” the theatre industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has teamed up with the charity Acting for Others as their vice-president and has shown determination to help with the recovery of the industry, as it struggles […]Read More
