Playful Productions

2012 Olivier Award nominations announced

The nominations have been announced for the 2012 Olivier Awards:

Carley Stenson will take over the role of Princess Fiona in May

Carley Stenson will take over from Kimberley Walsh in the role of Princess Fiona in SHREK THE MUSICAL® at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from May 23, 2012

South Downs/The Browning Version - Harold Pinter Theatre

Playful Productions, Neal Street Productions and Robert Fox are pleased to announce that following a critically acclaimed and sold out run as part of Chichester’s Festival 2011, the double bill of Terence Rattigan's one-act masterpiece and David Hare's specially commissioned companion piece will transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre from April 19 with a press night on April 24.

The King's Speech - Wyndham's Theatre

Playful Productions and Michael Alden are delighted to announce that the highly acclaimed stage production of The King’s Speech will transfer to Wyndham’s Theatre on 22 March, with an opening night on 27 March.

Whatsonstage Awards nominations announced

New casting announced for The King's Speech

Emma Fielding, Joss Ackland and Ian McNeice join Charles Edwards and Jonathan Hyde in the new stage production of The King's Speech directed by Adrian Noble and designed by Anthony Ward. 

Wicked and Sheridan Smith are winners at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Wicked wins the first public voted award for 'Best Night Out' and Sheridan Smith walks away with the 'Best Actress' award for her role in Flare Path. 

Sweeney Todd - Adelphi Theatre

Following sell-out success at Chichester Festival Theatre, Jonathan Kent’s acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd transfers to London’s West End for a limited season from 10 March 2012.

Dirty Dancing has become the most successful show of all time at the King's Theatre in Glasgow!

Dirty Dancing has taken over £1,835,000, making it the largest grossing show ever at the King’s Theatre Glasgow box office. It has sold 94% of all seats across its 4-week run, having made its Scottish premiere on Thursday 20 October 2011.

Shrek The Musical announces 2012 casting

Dean Chisnall takes over the title role and Neil McDermott is announced as the new Lord Farquaard.

Sheridan Smith makes shortlist in Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Flare Path star, Sheridan Smith has made the Natasha Richardson Best Actress Award shortlist. She is up against Kristin Scott Thomas for her performance in Betrayal and Samantha Spiro in Chicken Soup With Barley. 

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The hit Chichester Festival Theatre production transfers to the Adelphi Theatre in March 2012

Flare Path stars nominated for Evening Standard Awards

Sheridan Smith is nominated as Best Actress for her role as Doris in Flare Path, Harry Hadden-Paton as Best Actor for his role as Teddy and Trevor Nunn for Best Director. The shortlist will be published in the week beginning November 7 and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Savoy on November 20.

Playful to co-produce Noël Coward's Hay Fever

For the first time since its renaming and refurbishment, one of Noël Coward’s most well known plays will be performed at the Noël Coward Theatre.  Howard Davies is to direct Lindsay Duncan in Coward’s Hay Fever, reuniting the director and actor who together received seven major international theatre awards for their 2001 collaboration on Coward’s Private Lives.  Duncan is joined by Jeremy Northam, Kevin McNally and Olivia Colman in Coward’s sublime comedy of bad manners.

Playful to co-produce the world premier of the play The King's Speech

Playful Productions and Michael Alden Productions are delighted to announce that the world premier production of the original play of The King’s Speech by David Seidler will be brought to the stage next year in a production directed by Adrian Noble. David Seidler wrote The King’s Speech as a play before it became a film for which he won both the Academy Award© and BAFTA for Best Screenplay. Charles Edwards – who recently appeared at Shakespeare’s Globe opposite Eve Best in Much Ado About Nothing – will play George VI and Australian born Jonathan Hyde, who was recently seen in The Deep Blue Sea at Chichester Festival Theatre, will play speech therapist Lionel Logue.

Wicked - full cast confirmed

WICKED, the smash hit musical that recently celebrated its landmark 5th birthday at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, is pleased to confirm it's entire new cast.

From Monday 12 December 2011, the “hugely popular show” (The Times) will star:

Rachel Tucker (Elphaba), Gina Beck (Glinda), Matt Willis (Fiyero), Desmond Barrit (The Wizard), Julie Legrand (Madame Morrible), Lillie Flynn (Nessarose), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond), Adam Pettigrew (Boq), Nikki Davis-Jones (Standby Elphaba), Chloe Taylor (Standby Glinda), Ashley Andrews, Gemma Atkins, Alex Louize Bird, Oliver Brenin, Kieran Brown, Andrew Bryant, Sophie Carmen-Jones, Nicholas Collier, Aileen Donohoe, Enobong Essien, Harry Francis, Emma Green, Chlöe Hart, Jacqueline Hughes, Robert Jones, Sophie Linder-Lee, Bonnie Parker, Sean Parkins, Soeli Parry, Michelle Pentecost, David Rudin, Charlotte Scott, Sam Taylor, Paulo Teixeira, Hannah Toy, Matt Turner and Oliver Watton.

Happy 5th Birthday Wicked!

WICKED recently played its 2000th performance and will celebrate its landmark 5th birthday tonight, Tuesday 27 September 2011. 

Yes, Prime Minister moves next door

Yes, Prime Minister opens at the Gielgud Theatre tonight for a final 8 weeks following an initial run at the Apollo Theatre.

Gina Beck and Matt Willis to join Wicked and Desmond Barrit returns to play 'The Wizard'

WICKED, the smash hit musical that tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, is pleased to announce that Gina Beck and Matt Willis will join the cast on Monday 12 December 2011 to star as Glinda and Fiyero respectively. Desmond Barrit is returning to the show to play The Wizard. They will be joined by Lillie Flynn (Nessarose), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond) and Adam Pettigrew (Boq).

'Smash hit musical gives us all the time of our lives' Bristol Evening Post

Dirty Dancing opens in Bristol!

There's a new Princess in the swamp...

As Amanda Holden shares her wonderful news...Shrek The Musical announces that Kimberley Walsh will play the role of Princess Fiona from October 5 2011. 

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