Firstly for this week, news of two Royal Court shows transferring to the West End. From May, the 2010 hit Posh will open at the Duke of York’s Theatre; it’s followed by Jumpy from last year’s hit season, starting on 16 August and running until November. Both plays tackle the subjects of class, gender and age. Laura Wade’s Posh is about a group of 10 elite Oxford university students, planning a night of debauchery. Jumpy stars Tamsin Greig as a 50-year-old wife and mother trying to find her place in the world, and tame her teenage daughter.
Second, following his Olivier Award nomination last week, Derren Brown is returning to the West End. His hit 2011 show, Svengali will play at the Novello Theatre from 12 July to 11 August only. Little is known, or talked about with this secretive show: I can tell you to expect psychological tricks, mind control, incredible stunts, and of course, lots of audience participation.
Finally, congratulations to Gregory Doran who, it’s been announced today, will succeed Michael Boyd as Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2014.
London Casting News
- Adam Levy is joining Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths in Neil Simon’s comedy The Sunshine Boys at the Savoy Theatre from 27 April
- Samantha Bond, Tim McInnerny and Georgia Moffett will be playing alongside Omid Djalili in this summer’s production of Joe Orton’s What The Butler Saw at the Vaudeville Theatre from May
- Claire Foy, who you’ll recognise from BBC dramas White Heat and Upstairs Downstairs is appearing in Mike Bartlett’s Love, Love, Love at the Royal Court from April