If you’re into experimental and brand new theatre, make sure you check out this summer’s Almeida Festival, running from 9 July to 3 August. It’s a really eclectic programme, including international theatre companies, new collaborations and award-winning artists. Look out for Bryony Kimming’s new show, Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model; Lost Dogs’ new show Rabbits; and Dante or Die’s I Do, a site-specific piece that takes place in six hotel rooms 10 minutes before a wedding is due to start. For the full line-up, see almeida.co.uk/festival-2013.

The line-up for this year’s Kids Week has also been announced. Running for the whole of August in 2013, there are 34 top London shows offering free tickets to children aged 16 and under with every adult ticket bought. As well as top musicals, drama and dance shows, there are also workshops for kids interested in trying ballet, learning pop songs with the cast of Let It Be and tap dancing with Top Hat. Tickets go on sale on 18 June from kidsweek.co.uk.

The latest news from the National Theatre is that Rufus Norris will direct a new stage adaptation of the acclaimed novel Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death And Hope In A Mumbai Undercity next year. The novel by Katherine Boo is being adapted by playwright David Hare, and is a non-fiction account of life in the slums of Annawadi. If the adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is anything to go by, the National could have another hit on their hands.

London Theatre Cast News

• Olivier Award-winning actor Julian Glover will star in the UK premiere of The Scottsboro Boys when it opens at the Young Vic later this year
• Joanna Lumley and Andrew Scott will star in two short plays by Harold Pinter as part of a programme of platform events at the Trafalgar Studios
• Maureen Lipman stars in the world premiere of Oliver Cotton’s Daytona at the Park Theatre from 10 July
• Danny Webb joins Imelda Staunton and Toby Jones in the UK premiere of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, part of the Royal Court’s Theatre Local project later this year
• Olivier Award winner Gawn Grainger and The Lord Of The Rings star Billy Boyd have joined the cast of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe

Yesterday one of the most closely guarded secrets in theatreland has been revealed: the location of Punchdrunk’s new show. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable will take place in the largest space the innovative theatre company have ever taken over: a massive empty building next door to Paddington Station. Subject to licensing and planning permission, Punchdrunk will transform 31 London Street into the forgotten world of Temple Studios for its latest immersive theatrical experience. The show has also extended its London run to 31 December with 50,000 extra tickets now on sale.

Next up, great news for fans of the multi-award winning The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. The National’s hit show has extended its booking period at the Apollo Theatre to October 2014, releasing an additional 250,000 tickets for the celebrated show. If you haven’t done so yet, book tickets to see it now! It’s a fantastic piece of feel-good theatre, with a real star at the centre of its cast in Luke Treadaway.

London’s theatre offering also expanded today with the opening of a brand new theatre in Finsbury Park. The Park Theatre is run by artistic director Jez Bond, and the first performance will be Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives, starting this week. Like last year’s new arrival, the St James theatre in Victoria, there are two spaces in the venue: a 200-seat theatre and a flexible 90-seat space. The Park Theatre will operate as a charity, relying on local support to keep it running. If you’re in the area – pop in! There’s a bar and a café inside too.

And speaking of the St James Theatre, I have news of their latest show. The American Plan is a transfer from Theatre Royal Bath, and will open at the Victoria venue in July. Richard Greenberg’s 1960s-set play is a tale of broken dreams, twisted motives and deceit. It stars Diana Quick as an overbearing mother intent on controlling her daughter’s life.

Finally, this year’s Greenwich+Docklands international theatre festival line-up has been announced. Organised by Bradley Hemmings, one of the team responsible for last year’s Paralympic Opening Ceremony, the festival will feature the best UK and international performers to streets, parks and public spaces in and around Greenwich. If you like immersive, unusual and eclectic performance, then make sure you’re in London between 21 to 29 June. And best of all, it’s all free!

Christmas London Theatre News

Is it too soon to get excited about the festive season in London? Perhaps. But if you’re the type of person who loves to plan ahead, you might fancy putting one of the following into the very end of your 2013 diary:

• Slava’s Snowshow returns to the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre for the third year running in December. The award-winning production, which mixes theatrical clowning and stunning visuals, will hit the venue just in time to create a white Christmas, playing from 17 December to 5 January
• And this week’s other Christmas announcement is that the legendary Henry Winkler will play Hook in Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre from 6 December. Start practising your booing now!

How does writing an adaptation compare to writing an original play?
Writing an adaptation is pleasurable because someone’s already written the ending. Deciding how to end a play is a writer’s torture. With adaptations, you just have to make the plot work in the context you’ve decided on. One Man, Two Guvnors is set in Brighton in 1963. All I had to worry about was making it funny.

The Servant of Two Masters is very much of its period. What are the problems in adapting and updating a work of this genre?
The main problem to solve was that the original plot revolved around arranged marriage and that didn’t exist in the 1960s, except within certain cultures. The solution we came up with was to create a marriage of convenience because one of the parties was gay and wanted to hide that fact by marrying a woman. The second problem was the sword fighting that features in the original. In the 1960s, East End gangsters carried around flick knives so that introduced the gangster concept to the adaptation.

You’ve relocated the play from 18th century Venice to 1960s Brighton. How did that come about?
I had many early discussions with Nick Hytner, the production’s director, about where to set it. As food is such a motivating factor for the central character, my original idea was to set it just after World War II because food was still being rationed. Nick wasn’t keen on that as he thought using military colours for the set and costumes would be too muted. He wanted to have more primary colours in the mix so we settled on 1963.

You’ve retained many elements of Commedia dell’arte (Italian comedy). Was this important to you?
I wanted to keep most of the stock characters from the genre, but put a 1963 spin on them. So, for example, the birth of feminism gave us the character of Dolly. Although it’s not fashionable in contemporary theatre to have asides to the audience, I kept them in as I wanted to make an accessible, popular comedy that would find a new audience for the National Theatre.

One Man, Two Guvnors opened to critical acclaim at the National Theatre in 2011. It’s now on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Book your tickets here.

The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time won seven awards at last night’s Olivier Awards, equalling the record set last year by Matilda The Musical.

As well as Best New Play, Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel featured the following winners: Luke Treadaway for Best Actor, Nicola Walker for Best Supporting Actress, Marianne Elliott for Best Director, Paule Constable for the White Light Award for Lighting Design, Bunny Christie and Finn Ross for the XL Video Award for Best Set Design and Ian Dickinson and Adrian Sutton for Best Sound Design. The Curious Incident is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre, following a successful West End transfer in March. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent years, so if you’re able to book a ticket, go! The show is now booking until January 2014.

The Audience, currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre and Sweeney Todd which ran at the Adelphi Theatre in the summer took two actor awards each: Helen Mirren won Best Actress for portraying The Queen and Richard McCabe took Best Supporting Actor for playing Harold Wilson in the former; Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton won Best Actor in a Musical and Best Actress in A Musical for their roles in Sweeney Todd. The brilliant Sondheim musical also won the prize for Best Musical revival.

Elsewhere, there were prizes for Top Hat, currently on at the Aldwych Theatre for Best New Musical, Costume Design and Choreography. Leigh Zimmerman won Best Performance in a Supporing Role in a Musical for A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. And long-runner Billy Elliot won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award – voted for by the members of the public.

For a full list of winners, go to officiallondontheatre.co.uk

Congratulations to everyone involved. Do you agree with the judges’ choices? Let us know in the comments below.

This year’s Olivier Award nominations have been announced, with the National Theatre’s hit show The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time leading the way with eight possible prizes, including Best New Play.

Simon Stephens’ adaptation is also in the running for Best Actor for Luke Treadaway, Nicola Walker for Best Supporting Actress, as well as its creative team, with nominations for director Marianne Elliott, sound designer Ian Dickinson, lighting designer Paule Constable and set designers Bunny Christie and Finn Ross.

Two other productions scoring highly in the nominations are Top Hat and The Bodyguard with seven and four nominations each. Both have received nods in the coveted Best New Musical accolade alongside Loserville and Soul Sister. The lovely Tom Chambers, star of Top Hat, fights for the Best Actor in a Musical against six-time nominated Sweeney Todd star Michael Ball; Kiss Me, Kate’s Alex Bourne; and musical theatre newcomer and star of Cabaret, Will Young. For full details, go to the Official London Theatre website. The winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony, hosted by double Olivier Award-winner Sheridan Smith and Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, on 28 April at the Royal Opera House.

The Young Vic has announced three new productions for their Maria theatre later this year. The venue’s smaller auditorium will host Trash Cuisine, a co-production with Belarus Free Theatre; The Secret Agent co-produced with theatre O; and new David Greig play The Events between May and November this year. The three shows are linked by dark themes of political violence and terror. As if in contrast, Fevered Sleep’s acclaimed show for 3 to 5-year-olds, Brilliant, returns to the venue from 3 to 13 July, with its dreamlike world made of light.

In addition, the Soho Theatre has news of two new dramas with an international flavour as part of its summer programme. Kathrine Kressmann Taylor’s classic pre-war drama Address Unknown will be performed in a new French-and-English version in June with Belgian theatremaker Valentijn Dhaenens’ look at the manipulative nature of rhetoric, Bigmouth, following in July. The new pieces join a spring/summer line-up that includes The Life And Sort Of Death Of Eric Argyle, Verity Bargate Award winner Pastoral, and tale of returning soldiers developed with former servicemen, Glory Dazed.

Finally, Northern Broadsides critically acclaimed production of Rutherford & Son will transfer to the St James Theatre this summer. Directed by Jonathan Miller, Rutherford & Son will play at the Victoria-based theatre from 4 to 29 June with the Northern Broadsides Artistic Director Barrie Rutter in the lead role of John Rutherford.

In other news, the National Theatre’s West End transfer of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has extended its run at the Apollo Theatre by 14 weeks, following huge demand for tickets. It now runs from 1 March to 31 August.

After a sell-out run at the Chichester Festival Theatre, Private Lives is coming to the Gielgud Theatre this summer. Starring Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor as the divorced couple who fall in love again, this classic Noel Coward comedy is directed by Jonathan Kent and runs from 22 June. Anthony Calf and Anna-Louise Plowman reprise their roles as the pair’s newly hitched and soon-to-be-spurned other halves.

Finally, don’t miss all the excitement building around the Olivier Awards. Firstly, theatre fans are being called on to vote for their favourite long-runner. Then there’s the news that Sheridan Smith (one of my favourite actresses) is going to be hosting the event. And not only is the show being broadcast live on BBC Radio 2, there’ll be highlights on ITV following the ceremony AND a live event for theatre fans in Covent Garden on the night. Put 28 April in your diaries now for a lot of theatrical fun.

London Casting News:

• Mariah Gale, Jamie Parker, Emma Cunniffe and Matthew Marsh will star in Proof at the Menier Chocolate Factory from March
• Jennifer Ellison is donning her wellingtons to join the cast of Singin’ In The Rain next month, when it splashes into its second year at the Palace Theatre
• Olivier Award winner Henry Goodman leads the cast of Lindsay Posner’s forthcoming production of The Winslow Boy at the Old Vic, opening in March
• Singer songwriter Declan Bennett and Croatian actress Zrinka Cvitešić are going to lead the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Once when it opens at the Phoenix Theatre from 16 March

Firstly, there’s been another big birthday in Theatreland. Congratulations to War Horse, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on the London stage this week. The show’s been seen on stage by more than 1.6 million people in London, including the Queen, and remains one of London’s most popular productions.

From National Theatre long-runners to transfers: I’ve learnt that the National’s critically acclaimed production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time will transfer to the West End next year following its sell-out season at the Southbank venue. Adapted from Mark Haddon’s novel by acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time plays at the Apollo Theatre from 1 March with Luke Treadaway reprising his role as the 15-year-old autistic maths genius Christopher Boone.

And there’s news of another new West End show opening next year: From Here to Eternity features lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Stuart Brayson and is based on James Jones’ award-winning 1951 novel, rather than the classic film. I’ve no cast news yet, but the show will be directed by Tamara Harvey, and starts previews at the Shaftesbury Theatre in September next year

Finally, looking ahead to next summer, the Open Air Theatre has announced a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice and a re-imagining of The Winter’s Tale for children aged six and older for its 2013 season. These two shows join the previously announced productions of To Kill A Mockingbird and the first-ever Rodgers and Hammerstein production at the venue, The Sound Of Music. It sounds like we can look forward to another great summer at this ever-brilliant venue.

London Theatre Cast News:

• Zoë Wanamaker returns to the West End next year to star in David Leveaux’s production of Peter Nichols’ black comedy Passion Play at the Duke of York’s Theatre
• Jonathan Bonnici, Denton Chikura, Tunji Falana, Sandy Grierson, Éva Magyar, Itxaso Moreno, Adura Onashile, Tahirah Sharif, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Ony Uhiara and Hemi Yeroham will appear in Mary Zimmerman’s new play, The Arabian Nights at the Tricycle Theatre from 30 November to 12 January
• Nadia Clifford, Geoffrey Freshwater, Eve Pearce and Timothy Watson will join Maureen Lipman and Tracy-Ann Oberman in Terry Johnson’s production of Old Money at the Hampstead Theatre from 29 November to 12 January
• Joining Oliver Ford Davies in Goodnight Mister Tom are Louise Collins, Joanne Howarth, Aoife McMahon, Freya Parker, Georgina Sutton, Alan Vicary, Jonathan Warde and Emma Drysdale, as well as Elisa de Grey, Bradley Hall and Osmund Bullock
• Gina McKee and Anna Maxwell Martin join Tamzin Outhwaite in the transfer of Hampstead Downstairs’ sell-out production Di And Viv And Rose to the venue’s main space from 17 January to 23 February

In other news, Michael Attenborough has announced he’ll step down as Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre in spring next year. Attenborough has been at the venue for 11 years, producing an eclectic programme from Shakespearean classics to new writing, including 32 premieres all tackling critical issues of our times. His tenure has also seen four Almeida Festivals and he established the Almeida Projects, a creative programme dedicated to involving young people with the theatre. I wonder who his replacement will be…

Dance news now, and anyone into Strictly Come Dancing will be as excited as I am to hear two of its stars are headed to the West End. Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff will star in a new production of dance extravaganza Burn The Floor at the Shaftesbury Theatre from March next year. I can’t wait.

Finally, the National Theatre’s current sell-out show, This House is moving. After a critically acclaimed opening at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe space this week, I’ve been told that This House will move to the larger Olivier stage next year. James Graham’s acclaimed 1970s House of Commons-set play continues its run at the Cottesloe until 1 December; it will transfer to the Olivier in February. Casting is yet to be confirmed.

London Theatre Cast News

• Zubin Varla leads the cast of The Changeling which returns to the Young Vic later this year. He’ll be joined by Sinead Matthews and Harry Hadden-Paton.
• Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell and Lia Williams will star in a new production of Harold Pinter’s Old Times next year. As well as a sparkling cast to look forward to, this will also be the first time a Pinter play is produced in the renamed Harold Pinter Theatre.
• Downton Abbey star Lily James (Lady Rose) joins Matthew Kelly in a new adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull at the Southwark Playhouse next month
• Finally, and most excitingly, Olivier Award winner Douglas Hodge (La Cage Aux Folles) is to play Willy Wonka in the much-anticipated (by me!) new musical Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. What a great choice!

As part of this weekend’s Liberty festival, visual artist Sally Booth will create a live drawing installation on the South Bank tomorrow. The large, 3D structure has been designed in collaboration with sculptor Tim Norris.

“It’s a wood and voile structure and it’s a panoramic format,” Booth explains. “It takes its design from architecture around the South Bank. I work on long, thin panoramas and this puts together lots of panoramas. You’ll get a jigsaw effect of the views along the South Bank.”

The drawings will be visible from outside the structure, and people will be allowed inside at regular intervals during the afternoon and between 6pm and 7.30pm.

Booth has created similar works on the South Bank in previous years, which have involved public participation (see video below). But this time she’ll be working alone.

“I did three of these in 2009 but this is a bit more ambitious. This one is going to be mine. It will end up being a composite panoramic view of the South Bank. This view will encompass the river, Waterloo Bridge and the National Theatre. It’s all my drawings this time.”

Booth works on semi-transparent materials, which she says reflects her own sight: “Because I’m visually impaired I see things a bit soft and out of focus. I use a lot of line drawing and simple shapes because I don’t see the detail. I found this method echoed my vision in some way.

“For me it’s like that all the time but it’s quite beautiful. On the one hand it makes things more difficult but at the same time there’s a softness to it.”

The Liberty festival celebrates deaf and disabled artists, with three days of live music, dance, comedy, family entertainment and more. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Liberty.

Following the Liberty festival, Booth will take part in an open studio event as part of Merton Arts Trail during the last two weekends in September. She also has a one-day exhibition at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club, where she was an artist-in-residence, on 13 November.

Sally Booth at Liberty festival, 1 Sep on the riverbank outside the National Theatre. Live drawing from 1pm to 6pm, open to the public from 6pm to 7.30pm.

If you’re bamboozled by the huge quantity of cultural events this summer, then try following one of the weekend Culture Trails for a fantastic cross-section of the Olympic City’s best events.

This Saturday (4 August), the East to West London Trail takes you from Jeremy Deller’s bouncy Stonehenge in the newly re-opened Burgess Park to Portuguese acrobatics at the National Theatre. One the way you can take in the BMW Art Car Collection, Titian at the National Gallery and the penultimate day of the Exhibition Roadshow in South Kensington.

To guide you on your way, download the free London Official City Guide app for Android and iPhone which has details of this Saturday’s events and route. Or you can download and print a PDF at molpresents.com/explore.

Upcoming Culture Trails on the 12 August and 18 August explore East and West London respectively.

Have you followed one of the Culture Trails? Let us know if you made it round the whole route!