It’s rolling ever closer to the day of the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards, but yesterday, details of what is arguably the biggest theatre awards ceremony in the UK were announced: the Laurence Olivier Awards. They were established way back in 1976 and, after thirty six years, an Olivier Award is considered the most prestigious honour a British stage actor can receive. In 2011, the Oliviers were relaunched in a new partnership with Mastercard, which also saw the BBC cover the event on BBC Radio 2 and via the Red Button service. It was once again held at Theatre Royal Drury … more »
Tagged: Sheridan Smith
Opening night for Matilda musical and 59 years of The Mousetrap
The curtains are now officially up for Matilda The Musical as the holiday period ends and a brand new term begins. Last night was Press Night and it seems that anyone who was anyone was there, including the show’s creative team: writer Dennis Kelly, director Matthew Warchus and composer/lyricist Tim Minchin. Between them, these three have created what will surely be one of the giants of the West End, joining The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Ghost and, of course, Les Miserables, of which it has much in common with. Revolutionary France in the nineteenth century and the rather … more »
West End supports Children in Need
Friday: the day that signals the end of the working week (for most) and gladly welcomes the start of the weekend. Friday for some people means the pub or club, a big social gathering with friends, fun and alcohol – lots of alcohol. Friday for others is date night, a time to spend some much needed quality time with that special someone as you unwind from the stress of the week. Friday may even be family night for some, keeping that all-important bond strong over a game of Monopoly. This Friday is something different from the norm though. Tonight, … more »
Checking in on the 2012 BroadwayWorld UK Awards
So as I wrote in yesterday’s blog, it’s just over two weeks until the shortlist for the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards is announced at the Café de Paris Launch Party. In exactly two weeks however, the voting period for the BroadwayWorld UK Awards ends and the 2011 winners will be announced. There are twenty six categories in total to vote in, with the additional category of Understudy of the Year included in this year’s awards to reflect the often underrated effort that understudies contribute to their respective productions. A public vote determined which performers/creatives/shows would be put forward as nominated … more »
Evening Standard Theatre Awards Shortlist
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre. Following the previously published longlist, the shortlist is announced today. With two co-stars shortlisted for the same role, a husband and against each other and a playwright vying against himself, this year’s Evening Standard theatre awards, out today, looks set to be a particularly competitive occasion. Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch will contend for best actor, after being shortlisted for the same role in the same production. The actors alternated the roles of Dr Victor Frankenstein and the Creature at the … more »
Nominations for the Whatsonstage Awards 2012
Autumn is drawing to a close and as winter fast approaches, it brings with it another season: awards season. Voting is already open for the BroadwayWorld.com Awards and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards recently announced their long-list for the event – now the Whatsonstage.com Awards are joining the party. Monday 1st November marked the opening of the nominations for the Whatsonstage.com Awards 2011. The theatre site’s ‘theatre-goers choice’ awards began back in 2002, after an online vote in relation to the Olivier Awards produced some interesting results the previous year. It has steadily grown over the last decade to … more »
Lights, Camera, Action! Film Roles for Sheridan Smith and Ramin Karimloo
The worlds of Television and the West End appear to be two very different – and separate – things when it comes to acting; you may be surprised to realise just how interchangeable they are however. A number of Hollywood’s finest can often be found taking a break from the bright lights of the movie set to tread the boards of Broadway, or indeed, travel across the pond to warble for us in the West End. Christian Slater was first seen in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and returned for the stage version of 1990’s film, Swimming With … more »
Fun, frolicking and flesh at West End Bares!
Waking up to a wet and windy day in autumn, it can be hard to find the motivation to get out of your soft, cosy bed and expose yourself to the cold, harsh light of day. In the absence of that gentle kiss of the summer sun’s rays, warm yourself instead with thoughts of the hot and sexy extravaganza of West End Bares! The Make A Difference Trust’s annual fundraiser took place at Café de Paris last Sunday; with online tickets already down to a limited availability and a score of hopefuls turning up on the night to buy … more »
Charity Begins…In The West End
Rumours of Peter Andre’s supposed desire to tread the boards of the West End stage have been circulating like a game of virtual Chinese Whispers for a while now, but with the amount of gossip that exists online in this day and age with the increased popularity of social networking sites such as Twitter, it can sometimes be hard to decipher between what is fact and what is fiction. This particular rumour crossed over the line firmly into the region of fact with today’s announcement that singer – and ex-husband of glamour model Katie Price/Jordan – Peter Andre would … more »
Ayckbourn Says West End Transfers Drying Up
Alan Ayckbourn has stated that it is becoming harder for writers based outside of London to secure West End transfers, and that producers are picking up productions “closer to home”. He also said that “one looks vainly for new work” on the West End. Ayckbourn has had more than half of his 75 full-length plays transfer to the West End or the National Theatre. He added: “I count myself lucky that I was born as a writer when I was – when there was a very benign attitude in the late fifties and early sixties towards new work in … more »
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