Firstly this week, I have news of two shows closing early, and another extending. So, if you’re eager to see Strictly Come Dancing stars Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor in Burn The Floor at the Shaftesbury Theatre, you’ll need to be quick. The show is now closing on 30 June. The same date will be the final performance of Viva Forever! at the Piccadilly Theatre. The musical based on the songs of the Spice Girls has run for just six months, but producers have blamed poor ticket sales and bad reviews for the early closure. Fans of One Man Two Guvnors are in luck however; the National Theatre’s hit comedy celebrates its third year in London this week by releasing an additional 150,000 tickets for the show at the Theatre Royal Haymarket: it’s now booking until 1 March 2014.

I’ve also got news of two new shows coming to London in the near future. Dance troupe ZooNation bring the world premiere their “unique twist” on The Wizard of Oz, Groove on Down the Road to the Southbank Centre this summer. Featuring music from the original 1978 film The Wiz remixed with current tunes by DJ Walde, Groove on Down the Road runs from 10 August to 1 September at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The acclaimed Sheffield Theatres production of The Full Monty will transfer to the West End next year for a 16-week season. The stage adaptation of the hit film will play at the Noel Coward Theatre from February next year. Following the news of American Psycho and The Commitments last week, it seems we can’t get enough of film adaptations on the London stage at the moment.

Finally, another summer treat to look forward to. The Lyric Hammersmith is running Theatre in the Square again this summer, encouraging visitors to indulge in free theatre from four of the country’s most innovative theatre companies over a four-week season. The shows’ themes range from water to motherhood to ice cream to The Bacchae. Theatre in the Square is part of the ever-brilliant Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

London Theatre Cast News

• Ralf Little, Simon Day, John Gordon Sinclair and Con O’Neill will star in Sean Foley’s The Ladykillers when it returns to the Vaudeville Theatre in June
• West End regular Dianne Pilkington takes over as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! from 10 June, along with 24 other new cast members. It’ll be the biggest cast change since the show began performances in London back in 1999
• Darren Day will star in The Golden Voice, a new musical about the consequences of TV talent shows, playing at the Arts Theatre from June

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!

Team GB Volleyball player Shauna Mullin headaed to London’s West End yesterday to celebrate her role in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Shauna did a bit of shopping on Regent Street before meeting up with some friends for something to eat and then heading to see comedy rock musical Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Sounds like a perfect day out to me!

Read our interview with Rock of Ages star Shayne Ward, or book tickets to see the show here.

New musicals are cropping up all over the West End. Rock of Ages is similar in structure to We Will Rock You – a vague narrative created around a list of hit songs. It’s certainly a fun night out – in fact, I’m not sure I can remember laughing so much at the theatre.

Set on the famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, a typical love story emerges amidst the grungy rock scene. The 80s nurtured some of the greatest and most successful rock artists of all time and their legendary music is brought back to life by this energetic and passionate cast. It stars Justin Lee Collins and X-Factor winner Shayne Ward.

Everyone was given fake lighters on entry to be held aloft during the ballads. Visually the team have gone all out, it is hard to know where to look – the auditorium transformed with the elaborate set, outrageous costumes, and fabulous glitter and confetti showers.

During the crazy Don’t Stop Believing finale I decided that this is the perfect show for a hen or stag night – you are guaranteed to walk out smiling.

Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 11 February 2012. Book tickets

Phill Jupitus has his face on a cake. And he’s pretty excited about it.

“Being in Hairspray is something that I’d always dreamed of,” he told us last night in Teatro Members Club at a party for the new Hairspray cast. “And now I’ve got a cake with my face on it…

“I’ve always loved music, and always hung out with musicians: the Blockheads, Style Council, the Housemartins. For any performer, doing musical theatre has to be the top of the tree.

“However, dressing as a woman for money was not how I’d thought my career was going.”

There’s a big screen rigged up in Teatro, showing the final number of Hairspray The Musical, “You Can’t Stop The Beat“, one which Phill and his new co-stars Belinda Carlisle and Sharon D Clarke have worked on first, getting it up to performance standard.

Every so often, Phill’s face appears, full-screen, as big as a wall, barely recognisable, red lips sparkling. It distracts us both. “Yes, there I am. And do you know, I look so much like my mother…”  Phill blinks and blinks behind his thick-rimmed glasses to emphasise this last point. It’s obviously a revelation for him too.

We wonder how his performance as Edna is going to be different to those of his predecessors, the award-winning and much-loved Michael Ball and, playing currently, Brian Conley.

“Oh, I saw them both. Huge fans of them both. They were quite different. Brian is a great personality. Michael has this voice… I sang with him once on The Big Breakfast. Lovely bloke.”

And…? “And… I’ll be different to them both.” He grins – nervously? ”Different. You’ll have to come and see it.

“Hairspray is such a feel-good show. And now, I’d like you to think of it as a Phill good show,” he quips.

Sharon D Clarke is just as excited as Phill. For her, Hairspray represents a really great opportunity. “There aren’t many shows featuring three big women. There aren’t any…! And Motormouth is the perfect role for me. I love how she’s the catalyst. The whole show is really feel-good, but it has this underlying truth. Tracy really learns about people in the play; she realises how people can come together for good. I think it’s a great show.”

We had less time to talk to Belinda Carlisle, who’s playing Velma von Tussle. She told us she’d auditioned for Hairspray while it was on Broadway, but the show had closed soon after due to the economic situation, and she’d been waiting for it to come to London to get another spray of that Hairspray can!

We asked Sharon and Phill what other West End shows they’d consider taking part in. Sharon’s choice actually comes from Broadway: The Colour Purple. “It’s a fantastic show. The music, its Quincey Jones, Brenda Russell, Stephen Bray, is phenomenal. And I’d like to play Sophie.” Any West End producers listening out there?!

Phill’s answer is closer to home: “I’d be in Avenue Q. I met the puppet master recently and played around with the characters… Oh, yes, I’ve had my hand up Princeton’s bum…”

What do you think of the new Hairspray casting? Let us know in the comments below!

From 26 October, comedian Phill Jupitus, 80s popstrel Belinda Carlisle, and West End regular and Holby City star Sharon D Clarke take on the top characters in the hit West End show.

Jupitus replaces Brian Conley as the flowery, flouncy, larger-than-life leading lady Edna Turnblad. It’ll certainly be a change from his usual stints as a broadcaster and panel-show regular, but we can’t wait to see the full transformation!

While it’s Jupitus’s first time in a musical, this isn’t his West End debut: he appeared in Lifecoach at the Trafalgar Studios last year.

This will be the first time in the West End for Belinda Carlisle. If you don’t remember her from The Go-Gos, or as a solo artist (Oooh, heaven is a place on earth should ring a few bells!), you might have seen her more recently in Hell’s Kitchen and Dancing With The Stars. Belinda will take on the role of the evil Velma Von Tussle, glamorous white supremacist and controller of the local TV station.

Sharon D Clarke is one of our favourite musical stars: she’s appeared in Chicago, We Will Rock You, The Lion King and in panto at the Hackney Empire. However, she’s probably best known as Dr Lola Griffin in BBC hospital drama Holby City. Sharon has a wonderful voice and a great stage presence; she’s sure to be a hit as Motormouth Maybelle, celebrity DJ and owner of Baltimore’s biggest set of lungs!

The 26 October also sees other changes in the cast:

• Tony Timberlake replaces Nigel Planer as Wilbur Turnblad
• Nicola Brazil (a former Grease lead) joins the cast as Amber Von Tussle
• Gavin Alex plays Corny Collins

Chloe Hart, Verity Rushworth, Liam Tamne, Adrian Hansel and Raquel Jones all continue in the show.

Book your tickets now for what’s sure to be another fantastic casting success for Hairspray, one of the West End’s best-loved shows.