Do you have tickets for Matilda previews? Then you may be contacted by the RSC to rearrange your dates: the first five previews have been cancelled, and opening night has been rescheduled for 24 November. Executive Producer Andre Ptaszynski explains the delay:

“Matilda has a cast made up of three different teams of young actors and four young actresses in the title role. This means that, unlike other shows, we cannot extend everyone’s working hours, take shortcuts and reduce the number of dress rehearsals to meet the date of the first preview.”

The other big news this week comes from Shakespeare’s Globe. I was lucky enough to head down there this week to find out all about their incredible Globe to Globe season. Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole was as inspiring as ever with his tales of far-off places desperate to perform at what’s become the world’s “temple to Shakespeare”. There’s not enough space to tell you about all of it here, but check out their incredible website to whet your appetites. Tickets go on general sale on 17 October. See you there!

This Week’s Cast News:

• American actor Kyle Soller is joining David Suchet and Laurie Metcalf in Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre from April next year
• Lauren Samuels who you’ll recognise as one of the Over The Rainbow runners-up and more recently as Sandy in Grease, is transferring to the cast of We Will Rock You from 10 October, alongside Alasdair Harvey and Wayne Robinson
• Tom Bateman, Sonya Cassidyke, Rory Fleck-Byrne and James Norton are all joining the cast of The Lion in Winter at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previously announced stars include Robert Lindsay and Joanna Lumley.
• Olivier Award-winner Antony Sher will star in two National Theatre productions next year: Travelling Light by Nicholas Wright and The Captain of Köpenick by Carl Zuckmayer.

I’ve got three Christmassy announcements, the first from the Old Vic, which is reviving Michael Frayn’s hugely successful comedy Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner, over the festive period. Second, a new musical version of Swallows and Amazons will be produced by the National Theatre at the Vaudeville for Christmas; with music by Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy. And children’s favourite, The Gruffalo will be bringing its terrible tusks and terrible claws to the Lyric for morning and afternoon performances from November to January.

The other new shows announced this week are even further ahead. If you’re planning a theatre trip for next year, you can choose between Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace Theatre, starring Adam Cooper and Scarlett Strallen from February (a transfer of the Chichester Festival Theatre hit); or She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre starring Sophie Thompson, Steve Pemberton and Katherine Kelly from January.

And reaching even further into the crystal ball of theatrical future, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced its plans for 2012. It’ll stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream and contemporary musical Ragtime from May to September next year. Book before the end of April 2012, and you’ll get a special ticket price of £20.12 on all performances during the Games themselves (25 July to 12 August).

This week’s casting news:

• Busted star Matt Willis and Phantom regular Gina Beck are to appear as Fiyero and Glinda in Wicked from December
• The Young Vic has released more details about its production of Hamlet this autumn. Adeel Akhtar, star of Four Lions joins musical theatre regular Sally Dexter and Sherlock actress Vinette Robinson in the show
• Laurie Metcalf will appear alongside David Suchet in the forthcoming drama Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre

More next week…

• Long runners extending their booking periods include:
  Wicked, Jersey Boys, Les Mis, Phantom, and We Will Rock You
• New blockbusters getting in on the forward planning include:
  The Wizard of Oz, Shrek, Ghost

For a full list of shows that have extended their booking into 2012, check out the Official London Theatre website.

Edward Hall’s all-male theatre company Propeller have also announced their 2012 plans. They’ll perform their Shakespearean pairing of Henry V and The Winter’s Tale at the Hampstead Theatre from 4 to 21 July.

Before we get to that all-important Olympic year, there’s still exciting casting news to think about. This week’s announcements include:

• Hollywood star Thandie Newton, who’ll appear in Ariel Dorfman’s Death And The Maiden at the Comedy Theatre from October
• Doctor Who star Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) is making her professional stage debut in Inadmissible Evidence at the Donmar, also in October
• Another debut, this time from Hannah Spearritt (who you’ll know from Primeval, or if you’re my age, S Club 7!) in The Belle’s Stratagem at the Southwark Playhouse from September
• And finally, a real favourite of mine, David Suchet’s going to be back on the London stage in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, at the Apollo Theatre. You’ll have to wait til next April for that one, I’m afraid.

Last of all if you’re a fan of London theatre: don’t forget Kids Week, next month!