Firstly, sad news for a musical lover like me. Legally Blonde and Crazy for You are both leaving London in the near future. After three years at the Savoy Theatre, Legally Blonde will close on 7 April. And Crazy For You, which was booking until 28 July, is now going to tap dance off into the sunset on 17 March. If you love musicals, you’ll love these shows, so book your tickets now before it’s too late!

Next up, two shows that have extended their London runs. Green Day’s award-winning rock musical American Idiot is running for an extra week at the Hammersmith Apollo in December this year, due to an overwhelming demand for tickets. And The Leisure Society has also extended its run in London by a week: the cause for such high interest in this toxic comedy is surely the casting of model Agyness Deyn (alongside the lovely Ed Stoppard!)

It’s awards season in Theatreland, and the first of the bunch have already been given out. Congratulations to the National Theatre which scooped more than half the Critics Circle awards on offer, including gongs for Frankenstein (and its stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller) and One Man, Two Guvnors. Other awards went to Sheridan Smith for her performances in Flare Path and Mike Leigh, for his direction for Grief. And there’s more awards coming: this week, it was announced that the Olivier Awards will be taking place in the Royal Opera House on 15 April: if you want to watch the action as it unfolds (with Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball hosting!), you can, as there’ll be a live stream of the ceremony on a big screen in Covent Garden. (Or you can listen on Radio 2; or watch on the BBC’s Red Button.)

London Cast News:

• Strictly Come Dancing star Russell Grant is going to take over from Michael Crawford as the new Wizard in The Wizard of Oz from 14 February
• Jodie Prenger (winner of I’d Do Anything and star of Oliver!) and Hannah Spearritt (former S Club 7 singer) are to appear in One Man, Two Guvnors with Owain Arthur at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from March

More next week.

Now on to happier announcements!

The Mousetrap is celebrating its diamond jubilee year in September 2012: that’s 60 years in the West End! There are lots of 60-themed events planned for next year, including a 60-venue, 60-week tour, and 60 international productions. But don’t forget, you can only see the original (and best!) production of this incredible show in London…

In contrast, I’ve got details of two brand new West End shows coming to London next year. Firstly, Zach Braff (best known as for his part in TV show Scrubs), is making his stage debut in his own play, All New People at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 22 February next year. Second, the Tony Award-winning musical American Idiot is coming to London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo next December. You’ll have to be quick if you want to see it: it’s only on from 3 to 8 December 2012 in London.

This Week’s Cast News

• The cast for The Recruiting Officer at the Donmar Warehouse has been announced, and very exciting it sounds too. Tobias Menzies, Mackenzie Crook, Nancy Carroll, Mark Gatiss, Rachael Stirling and Gawn Grainger will all be starring at the Covent Garden venue.
• Ghost the Musical has two new stars: Siobhan Dillon and Mark Evans are to play Molly and Sam, taking over from Vaissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman from 13 January.
• Freddie Fox and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are the latest names to be added to the cast list for Hay Fever at the Noel Coward theatre from Feburary.

More next week…