News from the world of theatre and entertainment in brief
A few highlights for today, so in no particular order!
Monty Python and their 1st July 2014 performance at the O2 next summer, tickets priced at £32.50 – £106.75 , didn’t seem to put many people off as the tickets were supposedly sold out within 43.5 seconds.
That may well be a ‘Python’ quote as I expect it would take most people more than 43.5 seconds to read out their credit card number! Having said that, and as mentioned by John Cleese yesterday on BBC’s Andrew Marr’s show – if the tickets sold out then more dates could be added – and they have been – with Monty Python at the O2 from 1st July through to 5th July. It seems that ‘times of austerity’ don’t include Monty Python fans. Seriously though, it just goes to show what a phenomenon they are.
The Royal Variety Show is at the London Palladium tonight with a host of stars, including those from the West End, with Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Stephen Ward and I Can’t Sing – The X -Factor Musical, as well as Dame Edna taking part. The show will be broadcast sometime in December, a shame that they can’t televise it on the night but this seems the way it is with British television and theatre.
On the subject of television and theatre, a quick hop across the Atlantic for tonight’s International Emmy Awards, at the Hilton Hotel in New York, where Sheridan Smith and Sean Bean are nominees for their respective roles in Mrs Biggs, and Accused. Good luck to both of them!
Staying on Broadway, and why not, yesterday was opening night for Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which are playing in reportory at the Cort Theatre on Broadway. McKellen said “I think this will be my last outing to Broadway, probably, so I might as well go out with a bang doing two plays in wonderful company.”
Back to the UK with the announcement today that Horrible Histories and Room on the Broom win Children’s BAFTAS. Both of course have also stage adaptations of the shows.
Not today’s news but some may not know about it: Birthplace of Shakespeare 3D Lightshow Stratford upon Avon Christmas 2013. This Christmas, a fabulous and spectacular 3D Lightshow will be projected onto one of the World’s most famous buildings, Shakespeare’s Birthplace. The Lightshow will be put on every evening from 4.30pm onwards until Thursday 19th December 2013.
News in brief by Neil Cheesman @LondonTheatre1
Monday 25th 2013
