Shoppers in Covent Garden were treated to an impromptu Shakespearean performance yesterday, as a flashmob of Shakespearean characters emerged from the crowd.

Performers introduced themselves (in character) to members of the public, quoted some of the Bard’s most famous lines and sang songs, before disappearing into the crowd again.

It was the first What You Will: Pop-up Shakespeare event, created by actor Mark Rylance as part of the Mayor of London Presents programme and London 2012 Festival.

Fifty actors, aged 17 to 70, are taking part in the event, including deaf and disabled artists. They will play characters including Hamlet, Puck, Cleopatra and Juliet.

Similar performances will be happening across London until Sunday 2 September. Today’s performances will take place in the Exhibition Road area from 12pm to 4pm. Other locations are secret until the day, so keep an eye on the Mayor of London Presents website or follow @molpresents on Twitter to find out where there’ll be.

RSC veterans Oliver Ford Davies and Stephen Boxer will star in the drama, which marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible. Edgar’s play tells the story of two men translating the word of God into English: for one, it means death at the stake, for the other, it could bring an archbishop’s mitre.

Another exciting piece of transfer news this week: Mark Rylance’s Shakespeare’s Globe productions Richard III and Twelfth Night (the latter starring Stephen Fry) are moving to the Apollo Theatre in the West End from 2 November. It’s a long time to wait, but I think tickets are going to sell fast, so be quick if you want to see these shows!

An earlier play for your calendars is What The Butler Saw, also announced this week. Comic Omid Djalili, who you might’ve seen in Oliver at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane a couple of years’ ago, will lead the cast of this new production. What The Butler Saw is a comedy of twists, coincidences and sharp one-liners, by Joe Orton, and will play at the Vaudeville Theatre from 4 May to 25 August.

Fans of The Inbetweeners should look out for Blake Harrison (Neil from the show) making his West End debut in Rob Hayes’s Step 9 (Of 12) at the Trafalgar Studios, also in May. Step 9 (Of 12) sees Harrison playing Keith, a drug and alcohol addict, apologising for his past. But as his earlier actions are assessed, it becomes clear they have shocking repercussions for the present.

Finally, Shrek The Musical has announced a new “school night” performance schedule: starting Wednesday night shows at the more kid-friendly time of 7pm. The team have also introduced a new family ticket package for Wednesday and Thursday evening performances with prices starting at £99, making it more affordable for families to see the hit show.

And on 16 May, Shrek will play a special, relaxed performance for children with special needs: tickets are free for the kids, and just £5 for adults. This one-off show is presented by theatre educational charity, Mousetrap Theatre Projects. For more info on the work they do, check out their website.

As with last year, I’ve selected these for their starry casts, as well as the promise of fabulous productions. Autograph books at the ready…

1. The Madness of George III, Apollo Theatre, from 18 Jan
I can’t wait to see Olivier Award-winning actor David Haig in Alan Bennett’s brilliant play. He’s already had rave reviews for performances in Bath, and I loved seeing him in Yes, Prime Minister last year, so this is one of next January’s hottest tickets for me.

2. Hay Fever, Noël Coward Theatre, from 10 Feb
I’m a big fan of Lindsay Duncan, Jeremy Northam and Olivia Colman, so I can’t wait to see them all together in Noël Coward’s Hay Fever at the Noël Coward Theatre in February.

3. All New People, Duke of Yorks Theatre, from 22 Feb
Another year, another American star wants to come and perform in our inimitable West End. This time Scrubs’ Zach Braff is bringing his new play, All New People, to London. And he’s starring in it too. While he’s not to everyone’s taste, I like Scrubs and Braff’s film, Garden State, so am interested in seeing this show when it comes to London.

4. Wild Swans, Young Vic, from 13 Apr
Any Harry Potter fans out there should check out Wild Swans at the Young Vic this spring: it stars Harry Potter actor Katie Leung as the character based on Jung Chang in a new stage version of the famous story.

5. Mark Rylance at the Globe, from 7 Jun
Mark Rylance is one of my all-time favourite actors. And knowing that he’s returning to my favourite theatre in London, Shakespeare’s Globe, is just so exciting. Plus he’s playing the lead in Richard III and Olivia in an all-male Twelfth Night – two of the bard’s greatest plays. Booking opens on 13 February: don’t miss out!

6. King Lear, Almeida Theatre, from 31 Aug
Another exciting addition to the World Shakespeare Festival is Jonathan Pryce playing King Lear at the Almeida next summer. I loved Pryce as the villain in Tomorrow Never Dies, and when I saw him on stage in My Fair Lady. I can’t help thinking he’ll be an amazing Lear.

What plays are you looking forward to seeing in 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

Accompanied by a group of actors “disguised as normal people”, the Jerusalem star will approach people in the street and on Tube trains, and spout lines such as “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day”.

“This is a thing that I’ve done for 15 or 17 years on Shakespeare’s birthday,” said Rylance. “The idea is to take this beautiful language and put it in the street, in a real person’s situation.”

The 12-week festival will also feature a new show by Damon Albarn and the English National Opera called Dr Dee, an exhibition of Tony Cragg’s sculpture on Exhibition Road, and daredevil dancers at London landmarks.

The London 2012 Festival is the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. See the full programme at www.london2012.com/festival

The Laurance Olivier Awards last night celebrated London’s thriving theatre scene in a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

You probably know who the winners are by now, but do you agree?

It was no surprise that Mark Rylance continued his run of award success by picking up Best Actor for his portrayal of Johnny “Rooster” Byron in Jerusalem.

Rachel Weisz beat off strong competition from Gillian Anderson, Imelda Staunton and Juliet Stevenson to take the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Katori Hall became the first black female playwright to win Best New Play for The Mountaintop (proving that the spirit of International Women’s Day lives on.)

Spring Awakening, despite closing early due to low ticket sales, received the Best New Musical Award.

And congratulations to Rupert Goold who won Best Director for Enron (which we rather liked too.)

Have you seen any of the award-winners? Did the Oliviers get it right, or is there a theatrical gem they missed? We’d love to hear your views.

It’s a busy week for theatre news. Firstly, Enron’s extended its run at the Noel Coward Theatre, which is great news, particularly because I want to see it again – it’s *that* good! It’s now running until 14 August.

Also, two of my favourite south-of-the-river theatres have sent really exciting announcements my way.

Firstly, the Menier Chocolate Factory is bringing revivals of Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and Aspects of Love to London in the coming months. (It really couldn’t be a better line-up if my Liverpudlian Lloyd-Webber loving Mum had chosen the shows for the pair of us herself.) Larry Lamb, who you’ll either know from EastEnders or Gavin & Stacey will be playing Frank in Educating Rita. And all-round ace (she writes, she acts, she directs, and sings, and produces) Meera Syal will be playing Shirley. No news as yet for the cast of Aspects of Love. (We’ve got our fingers crossed that Michael Ball will come back, but we know it’s probably never going to happen. Sniff.)

Second: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has sent some tasty casting news through too this week, which includes two actors I’ve really enjoyed watching at The Globe before: Dominic Rowan and Jamie Parker. The former’s going to be playing Henry VIII; the latter (who you might recognise from The History Boys) will play Hal in Henry IV Parts I and II.  And it’ll be interesting to see sexy Elliot Cowan play Macbeth: surely one of Shakespeare’s best plays? All in all, it’s shaping up to be a great summer at The Globe.

Finally, while memories of the wonderful Jerusalem are still strong in my mind, I’m pleased to tell you about the amazing Mark Rylance’s next project. He’ll be playing a street clown in David Hirson’s 1991 comedy, La Bête. Other cast members include Joanna Lumley OBE and David Hyde Pierce (or Fraiser’s brother Niles, to you and me). It turns out Niles, sorry, David Hyde Pierce has won a Tony for his work on Broadway, which includes Curtains, Monty Python’s Spamalot and Accent On Youth. This will be his West End debut. Can’t wait to see this show at the Comedy Theatre in June: it sounds really interesting.

Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth’s award-winning play, opened in the West End last night at the Apollo Theatre.

I was lucky enough to see a preview performance last week. Jerusalem is incredible: funny, thought-provoking and refreshingly different. And Mark Rylance’s performance as the central character, Johnny “Rooster” Byron, is quite spectacular.

It was also impressive to see how many celebs were in the audience. We spotted Clive Owen, Felicity Kendal, Ben Miller, Nigel Planer and one of the Spandau Ballet boys. It’s clearly the show to be seen at!

We asked some (non-celebs) in the audience for their views on the play:

Barry, 33, from South Woodford
“If you only see one play this year, go and see Jerusalem. Beg, steal (well maybe not that) or borrow the money: it’s well worth it. Mark Rylance is beyond brilliant.”

John, 28, from Northampton
“I thought it had everything: it was funny, challenging and beautiful. Mark Rylance’s performance is an incredible feat and it was the best night I’ve had at the theatre for ages. And the celeb-filled audience was the icing on the cake!”

Jean, grandmother, from Bristol
“The language may be blue in this green and not always pleasant land – but this is an extraordinary piece of theatre. Mark Rylance’s performance is electrifying.”

Lilac, 32, from Sydney
“Jerusalem is a rollicking rollercoaster of emotion, enjoyment and evangelism – although not in the obvious sense. We’ve all known, if not been, the “king of the kids” at some point in our lives and I observed the antics of “Rooster”  Byron with equal parts nostalgia and relief! The play is thought-provoking, poignant and also bloody funny. Well worth seeing.”

Jenny, 27, from Essex
“I agree with all the praise for Mark Rylance’s performance – one of the most gruelling I have seen as he is on stage for almost the entire duration of the play, which clocks in at more than three hours.”

Josephine, just over 40, from Mortlake
“This is the best play I’ve seen in ages – funny, moving, razor-sharp dialogue, original, memorable. The main character dominates proceedings brilliantly, though the rest of the cast move in and out of focus superbly well. As well as a good laugh, the story really makes you think about life’s values. Not for readers of the Daily Mail.”

But that’s not all. The fantastic Rachael Stirling (she’s Diana Rigg’s daughter, y’know) is playing Helena – the most fun a girl can have in a Shakespeare show without the responsibility and cross-dressing silliness of a Rosalind. Add to that the sexy Ben Mansfield as her love interest Demetrius (he was great at the Open Air Theatre this summer), and Oliver Chris from the Green Wing and Nathan Barley as Bottom, and, well, it’s all pretty exciting.  I’m also looking forward to seeing the ace Msimisi Dlamini (Philostrate) again after enjoying his performance in the Arcola’s Spanish Tragedy this season. And it’s all directed by Peter Hall. *And* tickets start at just £5. What a treat.

In other casting news, I’m happy to learn Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook are going to reprise their performances in the West End version of Jerusalem, particularly as the show won some top prizes at the Evening Standard Awards this week. Many of the other original Royal Court cast members are also coming back for the West End move. Even better news: if, like me, you haven’t got around to booking tickets yet, Jerusalem is offering 20 best-price seats at £10 each, available from the box office from 10am on the day of the performance. Bear in mind you’ve got to show up in person.

Speaking in Tongues has been in the news this week as Ian Hart allegedly lost his temper with an audience member. If you were there, tell us about it… If this has made you even more eager to see the show (which also stars the brilliant John Simm and Kerry Fox), book now: you’ve only got until 12 December…

Finally, news about a show which is a long way from posting closing notices: Billy Elliot. Not only have they extended booking until December 2010, but there’s also a new Billy to boot! Dean-Charles Chapman, 12, is no stranger to the show: he played Small Boy in the original cast when Billy Elliot opened in 2005; and has been playing Michael (Billy’s best friend) since the start of the year. Incredibly, he’s been training for Billy for two years. Break a leg, D-C!