Firstly, congratulations to Clybourne Park, which transfers to Wyndham’s Theatre tomorrow.
The play has won another award for its earlier run at the Royal Court. As well as being named Best New Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards, it’s also bagged the South Bank Sky Arts Theatre Award. Get booking now if you want to see this fantastic show!
This week’s casting news includes
- Simon Russell Beale will play Stalin at the National Theatre in Collaborators, a new play by Trainspotting writer John Hodge in October
- Another tip from the National: Ashes to Ashes and Upstairs Downstairs stay Keeley Hawes will appear in Rocket to the Moon from March
- Sheridan Smith, fresh from Legally Blonde, is joining Sienna Miller in Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from March
- TV presenter and actress Donna Air is to appear in psychological drama The Watcher at Waterloo East theatre also from March
Finally, the Society of London Theatre has just released the theatregoing figures for last year. And very impressive they are too!
More than 14 million people saw a show at one of London’s major venues last year. 2010 was a record year at the box office, with theatres taking more than £500,000,000; there was also a rise in the number of performances to over £18.5 thousand. Proving what I’ve always known: London theatre is on the up!