The theatre has announced a new season offering a view of humanity at its best, looking at a different vision of humankind: both human and kind. Artistic Directors Steve Marmion and Max Roberts are commissioning writers to create new short plays challenging the vision of our future. More details will be announced in March. For now, just think of it as something nice to look forward to in gloomy January.

If, like me, you’re missing TV talent shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Over the Rainbow, you’ll be pleased to hear Andrew Lloyd Webber is back, looking for a new star. Superstar will be screened on ITV, and is looking for a new British actor to play the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar for a new arena tour of the rock opera. Can’t wait.

Just two pieces of cast news this week:

• Olivier-award winning actress, Samantha Spiro, is to play at the Almeida Theatre in the title role of Eduardo De Filippo’s Filumena from 15 March
• Simon Rouse, best-known as Jack Meadows in The Bill, leads the cast in the Tricycle Theatre’s The Bomb – A Partial History from 9 February.

I’m off to the National Theatre now to see Travelling Light with Antony Sher. Have you seen any exciting theatre in London this week? Let us know in the comments below.

I was finally off to see the Wizard, the new production of The Wizard of Oz at The Palladium.

The show stars Danielle Hope, who won the starring role of Dorothy in the popular eponymous TV programme. Avoiding the gushy sentimentality that can come with the part, Hope’s voice is strong with just the right amount of vulnerability. I couldn’t fault her. This production also welcomes Michael Crawford back to the stage. Known best in theatreland as the original Phantom (and on TV as Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) he is at home in this Andrew Lloyd Webber extravaganza.

No expense is spared in the production’s spectacular special effects. I was overwhelmed by the sparkling revolving set, the glorious costumes and the convincing cyclone. Each manoeuvre is perfectly executed, including incredible stunts hovering over the audience.

Along with the familiar classics, three new songs have been added. Hannah Waddingham is brilliant as the pointy nosed witch, executing a bizarre Cheryl Cole-like routine in one song. Dorothy’s three loyal friends are well cast too: Paul Keating as the dippy scarecrow; Edward Baker-Duly as a fantastic tap dancing tin man; and David Ganly the overtly camp lion.

Wicked has been dominating the London stage for long enough, it’s about time the original story marked its territory and this is a brilliant show.

The Wizard of Oz musical is booking until 17 September, buy your Wizard of Oz tickets here.

With Christmas drawing closer many shows are ending their runs to make way for festive productions. It really is your last chance to see many of London’s most popular musicals.

A few nights ago I went to see Oliver! It has been on my list of “must-sees” ever since the Andrew Lloyd Webber programme went in search of the perfect Nancy. Oliver closes on 8 January 2011 after a fantastic two-year run, and tickets are selling out fast. I didn’t realise the scale of this production before I went – the theatre is massive and very grand and the stage constantly changes, with ever more fabulous backdrops for each successive scene. But by far the most epic aspect of this musical is the huge cast, predominantly made up of very talented young children.

The show currently stars entertainer Russ Abbot as the loveable rogue Fagin (although I saw understudy Tim Laurenti in the role) and Kerry Ellis as Nancy. Gwion Wyn Jones (Oliver) and Ben Wilson (Artful Dodger) are the real stars of the night however; I couldn’t believe how capable and confident they are – singing, dancing and acting with startling maturity and swagger. I particularly love the sequence right at the beginning of the show when all the kids come on stage to sing “Food Glorious Food”.

Read our entry on Oliver! with Omid Djalili as Fagin.

Other London Theatre Shows Ending Soon:

• Sister Act: (ends 30 October 2010) A precocious singer joins a convent to unite the sisters with singing and music
• Avenue Q: (ends 30 October 2010) A hilarious mischievous puppet show set in New York City
• Sweet Charity: (ends 6 November 2010) the story of a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance-hall who finds love at last
• The Railway Children: (ends 2 January 2010) An adaptation of E Nesbit’s classic about three children who find amusement watching the trains at a nearby railway station

Catch them before it’s too late!

It’s been a wonderful week for London theatre news.

First, tickets went on sale for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of Oz, opening at the London Palladium next year. Have you got yours yet? Book them here!

Then I learnt that Richard Fleeshman is to join Legally Blonde The Musical next month. The former Corrie star (remember Craig Harris?) and winner of ITV’s Soapstar Superstar will replace Duncan James as the sleazy Warner Huntington III, from 16 June.

Also, news about that Railway Children show being staged in Waterloo Station this summer. Caroline Harker and Marshall Lancaster will lead the cast in the London show: Marshall (who you’ll recognise from Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes) reprises the role of Mr Perks after playing the character for York Theatre Royal; and Caroline is going to play Mother.

But I think the most exciting theatre announcement today is that Michael Sheen is going to play Hamlet at the Young Vic next year. Michael Sheen is an amazing actor, who’s played many famous names like Tony Blair, David Frost and Brian Clough on screen. This is sure to be an amazing opportunity to see him on the London stage. And he’ll be directed by Ian Rickson, who was responsible for directing Jez Butterworth’s hit play, Jerusalem. If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel more than a little bit tingly and jittery about this news… Sounds like it’ll be amazing.

Finally, do you often find your enjoyment of the theatre is disturbed by other audience members? Do rustling sweet wrappers, persistent coughs and people who whisper during a performance really put you off? Then the One-On-One Festival at BAC might be a solution to your problems! Running from 6 to 18 July, this is the UK’s first major international festival of what’s described as

“an increasingly popular genre of work that takes place between one artist and one audience member at a time”.

Intimate doesn’t even come close to describing it! Find out more at www.bac.org.uk.

Some opera news is sneaking its way into Thursday’s theatre slot: the co-creator of Jerry Springer the Opera is writing a new opera based on the life of American glamour model Anna Nicole Smith for the Royal Opera House. It sounds rather crazy, doesn’t it? You’ll have to wait until February next year to see the show, but the lead has already been cast: Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek will take on the role.

There’s also news of a transfer this week: Peter Hall’s production of Alan Ayckbourne’s Bedroom Farce opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 24 March. It comes to the West End following a successful run at the Rose Theare, Kingston last year. Sadly, it’s lost some of its top names: but Nicholas Le Provost, Jane Asher and Lucy Briers are replaced by the just as fantastic David Horovitch, Jenny Seagrove and Sara (“Philadelphia. Lovely.”) Crowe.

Two well-known faces from TV are joining the previously announced David Suchet and Zoe Wannamaker in All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre from May. Stephen Campbell Moore and Jemima Rooper will play the son and bereaved fiancée in Arthur Miller’s tragedy. You’ve probably seen Campbell Moore in The History Boys, doing stuff with the RSC, or in Ashes to Ashes or Wallis and Edward. And while Londoner Jemima Rooper will always be cool Nicki Sutton in As If for me; you might know her from Lost in Austen, Silent Witness or Hex.

You probably last saw Roger Allam dragged up, playing Zaza / Albin in the wonderful La Cage Aux Folles. This summer, he’s back on the London stage, playing a very different role. Allam is making his debut at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre as Falstaff in the Dominic Dromgoole-directed productions, Henry IV Part I and Henry IV Part II. He’ll be playing alongside the hugely watchable Jamie Parker as Hal.

Of course, all the gossip this week has been about Love Never Dies. From five stars in the Independent to just two in the Times, plus a mauling among Phantom-loving bloggers, it’s certainly got people talking. It’s even divided people here at VL towers. I didn’t hate it, (Andrew Lloyd Webber’s tunes are lovely, some of the staging and design is fantastic, and the stars certainly give their all) but I must admit I was a little disappointed with the plot and the lyrics, and I definitely prefer the first Phantom!

Have you see Love Never Dies yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!

Happy 1000th performance to smash-hit musical Grease for last night!

Since its premiere in 2007, this production of Grease has been seen by nearly 900,000 theatregoers at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. It celebrated its second birthday this July, and is now the longest running show in Piccadilly Theatre’s history; tickets for the production are currently on sale until September 2010.

Marking the occasion, the show has announced a new class coming to Rydell High in January, including Siobhan Dillon as Sandy. You’ll remember Siobhan from the BBC’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? in 2006. (She came third.)

Siobhan’s been in Grease before, playing the wonderful Patty Simcox in 2007. Since then, she’s been in Cabaret and recorded a couple of albums. She’ll be playing Sandy alongside another talent show success story, Noel Sullivan as Danny, from 25 January.

In other cast news, a third former talent show star is coming to the West End next year. Niamh Perry, who came fifth in I’d Do Anything, is to appear in the eagerly anticipated Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical. Other cast members already announced include Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Joseph Millson, Liz Robertson and Summer Strallen. Can’t wait.

Finally, fans of Morecambe currently playing in the West End can pick up tickets to a similarly dad-pleasing, old-fashioned-variety-inspired show. If gags like “I got a new car for the wife yesterday… Not a bad swap” tickle your funny bone, don’t miss Jus’ Like That! A Night Out With Tommy Cooper in the new year. Actor Clive Mantle will be playing the legendary Tommy Cooper on a six-month tour beginning on 8 February.

London venues for Jus’ Like That include Beck Theatre, the Tabard Theatre, Fairfield Halls, the Rose Theatre and Queens Theatre. Altogether now: I’m on a whisky diet – I’ve lost three days already. Boom, boom.

Favourite Tommy Cooper gag? Let us know in the comments below…

Lots has changed since then: who would’ve thought you could follow The Phantom on twitter when Michael Crawford first created the part in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s gothic musical?

Love it or hate it, The Phantom of the Opera, based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, is one of the most successful “entertainment entities” in history.

For a youthful 23-year-old, these figures are pretty staggering:

• Seen by more than 100 million people
• Translated into 15 languages
• Performed in more than 25 different countries
• Won 50 awards worldwide

And what better birthday present could a show wish for than an eagerly anticipated sequel? Yesterday, details about the forthcoming Love Never Dies were announced.

You can watch the press launch online on the official Love Never Dies website.

And if that whets your appetite for more, book your tickets to see Love Never Dies when it opens in London next year.