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

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.

Christmas is not Christmas without a family trip to the theatre. And this year there’s only one show in town.  Well… that’s not strictly true, but you catch my drift. It’s hard not to gush about Matilda The Musical, which has just opened at the Cambridge Theatre and will hopefully become a permanent fixture in London’s West End.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has dusted down Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s classic and given it an all-singing, all-dancing makeover.

The play opens with a chorus of children boasting that “My mummy says I’m a miracle”. A million miles from those proud parents is ballroom dancer Mrs Wormwood, who, to her dismay, has just discovered she is pregnant – and nine months gone at that.

Her husband, a brash wheeler dealer (played by comedian Paul Kaye), is rather more upbeat about Matilda’s arrival, until he discovers she’s a girl. The uncouth pair adopt a peculiar style of parenting; ignoring and teasing their daughter in equal measure.

But despite their best efforts to get her to stop reading and watch more telly, Matilda turns out to be a bookworm extraordinaire. The little girl, played by one of four very talented young actresses, seeks solace in a kindly librarian and her sensitive teacher, Miss Honey. There is no doubt that Matilda (ours was played by 11-year-old Cleo Demetriou) is the star of the show. Her powerful voice and fine acting suggest a lengthy career lies ahead.

That said, it is the humour that makes this such a success and that is thanks to writer Dennis Kelly and musical comedian Tim Minchin, who wrote the score and lyrics for the play.  There’s a laugh a minute when Matilda’s crude, uncaring parents are on stage, but it is actor Bertie Carvel who steals the show as the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.

Carvel’s hilarious depiction of the one-time Olympic hammer thrower is comedy genius. With her high-pitched voice and uber-padded outfits, Miss Trunchbull is like an extreme kickass pantomime dame. Though a little fearsome at first, she soon becomes the villain we love to hate, which explains why Carvel recently won the award for Best Performance in a Musical at the 2011 Theatre Awards UK.

I’m not sure who loved Matilda more – me or my kids. There were a few loud bangs and a couple of split-second scary moments, but otherwise their little faces were plastered with huge grins throughout. Whether or not you have children, Matilda is a wonderful show with catchy tunes and a brilliant script so be sure to catch it while you can.

Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre until 12 February 2012. Book tickets

And I have news of another TV star returning to London’s theatre this week: Denise Van Outen is joining the cast of Legally Blonde from 25 October. New mum Denise is replacing Jill Halfpenny in the role of Paulette. She’s starting alongside former Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson and talent show graduate Siobhan Dillon who are also newcomers to the girly musical; Sheridan Smith has recently announced she’s continuing in the role of Elle Woods until at least 9 January. I couldn’t be happier!

Finally for cast news this week, Olivier Award-winning actress Ruthie Henshall is going to be starring in Blithe Spirit at the Apollo theatre next spring. She joins an already star-studded cast including Alison Steadman, Hermione Norris and Robert Bathurst.

And looking even further ahead, I’ve got long-range news from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Get your 2011 diaries ready for these dates: the RSC is premiering three new plays at the Hampstead Theatre from April to June next year, as part of A Season of World Premieres:

• Playwright Rona Munro opens the season on 16 April with Little Eagles, directed by Roxana Silbert
• Followed by former Lyric Hammersmith Artistic Director David Farr’s piece Silence from 12 May
• Finally, American playwright Tarrell Alvin McCraney, (who wrote In The Red And Brown Water and The Brothers Size), presents his new play American Trade from 2 June

Edward Hall, Hampstead theatre’s Artistic Director, said, “I am delighted to be creating A Season Of World Premieres with the RSC and to be working so closely with Roxana Silbert on what will be a very exciting programme of new work at Hampstead theatre. Six pieces of major new work over a 10-week period… cause for celebration indeed.” I certainly think so.

• Bond Girl Gemma Arterton is returning to the London stage in The Master Builder at the Almeida, joining the fantastic Stephen Dillane. Go Gemma!
• In other Bond film star news, Judi Dench will be voicing the The Giant in the Open Air Theatre’s upcoming production of Into The Woods. (She’s not going to be on stage: she’s recording her part in July for the August opening of this summer’s outdoor musical)
• And another British film star, Ben Barnes will appear in the forthcoming production of Birdsong, a stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks‘ amazing novel. Personally, I can’t wait for this show open in September

In new show news, Five Guys Named Moe returns to London this autumn, opening at the Theatre Royal Stratford East from September. The award-winning jazz musical is heading back to the venue where it first opened 20 years ago!

And the most toe-tingling news for me this week is the RSC’s announcement that they’re heading back to the Roundhouse later in the year. Bringing back memories of the curious Shakespeare marathon that was The Histories, this time the company are presenting a repertoire of eight plays in 10 weeks, including Romeo And Juliet, Antony And Cleopatra, The Winter’s Tale, Julius Caesar, As You Like It and King Lear. RSC Artistic Director Michael Boyd says:

“London audiences will be able to see our ensemble in full flight – 44 actors pushing each other to set the bar of their achievements higher. When they touch down at the Roundhouse in our specially built auditorium in November it will mark a significant highpoint, two years into their journey together.”

Brilliant news. (Read Boyd’s quote in full)

Finally, theatreland giveth and taketh away: the incredible All My Sons has extended to October (hurrah!), but the wonderful Oliver! is closing (boo!) in January 2011. Book now if you don’t want to miss out on seeing this fantastic London musical!

Yes, 2010 marks the musical’s quarter-century in London. If you haven’t seen it yet and you love big, sweeping, emotional, epic musicals, I can’t recommend Les Misérables enough. It’s one of my top 10 stage musicals of all time..

Talking of big sweeping musicals, congratulations to Wicked, which enjoyed its most successful year to date, last year. The show, at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre grossed an incredible £27,333,991 at the box office. Wow.

More musical news comes in the form of Heart FM DJ and CBBC’s Toby Anstis joining the cast of Grease on 25 January. This will be Toby’s West End stage debut. I remember him best as an occupant of The Broom Cupboard; now he presents an early morning radio show on Heart. He’ll be playing Teen Angel alongside Siobhan Dillon as Sandy and Noel Sullivan as Danny. (Incidentally, anyone spot Noel’s strange silent cameo in Gavin & Stacey this Christmas?!)

For those of you who prefer plays to musicals, exciting news from the Royal Shakespeare Company this week. The wonderful Jeremy Irons and the brilliant Siobhan Redmond are returning to the Royal Shakespeare Company this spring to appear in new plays.

Jeremy Irons (who was excellent when I saw him at the National in Never So Good a couple of years ago) rejoins the RSC after 23 years to star in The Gods Weep, a play about a corporate mogul who decides to split his power among his subordinates, unleashing a bloody struggle. Sounds like a modern-day King Lear to me?

Siobhan Redmond (Shona Spurtle in The High Life to you and me) leads the cast in David Grieg’s Dunsinane, a drama following one man’s attempt to restore peace to a country ravaged by war following the murder of Macbeth.

And some long-range news. If you’re Shakespeare-obsessed, like me, you’ll love the sound of this: Shakespeare’s Kings & Westminster Abbey. If you saw any of the RSC’s spectacular Histories Cycle, here’s your chance to see some more, inside Westminster Abbey:

Shakespeare’s Kings and Westminster Abbey tells the story of six kings of England, all linked with Westminster Abbey. RSC actors from the History Plays will take part in five atmospheric evenings at the Abbey depicting the aftermath of Edward III and the Hundred Years War, to the accession of Henry VII, after Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Also taking part are Lecturer Dr Nicholas Sagovsky, Canon Theologian at the Abbey and the Westminster Abbey Choir.

Doesn’t that make your Shakespeare/History geek gene tingle? Perhaps it’s just me. Well, if you’re with me, you’ll have to wait until 13 April, sadly, but it all sounds very exciting.