Here’s our monthly round-up of all the latest Production news.

THE KING AND I

Ahead of the smash-hit musical sensation The King and I opening at London’s Dominion Theatre in January 2024, further dates have been added to the current sell-out UK tour in Eastbourne and Salford starring Helen George as Anna. Helen is known to millions as Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife, which returns to BBC One later this year for a Christmas special and a new 2024 series.

Helen will be reunited with her co-star Broadway and film actor Darren Lee, who played The King on Broadway, as she returns to the stage to reprise the lead role she played earlier this year to sold out theatres across the UK. Both have received rave reviews for their performances.

Helen recently appeared on BBC Breakfast and was a guest on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 to promote the show.

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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1936

The Merchant of Venice 1936 opened its UK Tour at the RSC’s Swan Theatre in Stratford last month.

Starring Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock, this new production transports Shakespeare’s classic to 1930’s Britain in this “striking and impactful” (Guardian) production directed by Brigid Larmour. The production will now visit Wycombe Swan, Malvern, Bromley Churchill Theatre, Cardiff New Theatre, London, York, Chichester and Manchester.

Check out the audience reactions to The Merchant of Venice 1936 in our video below!

QUIZ

Jonathan Church Theatre Productions opened Quiz last month. In a shockingly shameless scam, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was duped out of £1,000,000. Or was it?

Rory Bremner stars as Chris Tarrant alongside Charley Webb, Lewis Reeves and Mark Benton in Quiz, the thrilling and entertaining ride through the infamous Coughing Major scandal which engulfed the world’s most popular TV quiz show.

The story remains a mystery and had over six million people glued to their screens watching ITV’s adaptation of this West End smash hit play. Now, uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

IT’S HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS US

JCTP also opened the quirky, surprisingly tender, laugh out loud comedy, It’s Headed Straight Towards Us starring multi-award-winning actors Rufus Hound and Sam West at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park.

‘Adrian Edmondson’s and Nigel Planer’s new comedy It’s Headed Straight Towards Us, opened last week and set the theatre alight with laughter’ (★★★★ All That Dazzles)

‘Guaranteed to get a laugh… Kavanaugh’s production finds the heart of this play, balancing comedy and catastrophe with skill’
(★★★★ The Stage)

‘Showcasing ‘flawless acting’ from Rufus Hound, Nenda Neururer and Samuel West, this ‘smash hit’ is not to be missed’
(★★★★ WhatsOnStage)      

MYRA’S STORY

The smash hit one-woman show, Myra’s Story, held its press night at Trafalgar Theatre om 26 September. Starring Irish actor Fíonna Hewitt-Twamley in the title role, Myra’s Story is about homelessness and addiction and is told in a way that is humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining.

As part of its London run, Trafalgar Theatres has partnered with homeless charity, The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, to raise much needed funds and awareness.

The evening was also attended by the playwright Brian Foster, and Pam Orchard, CEO of The Connection. Following the performance, Fíonna, Brian and Pam took part in a special Q&A hosted by our very own Nicky Sweetland to discuss the plight of homelessness, the work of The Connection and the origins of the play.