On a more positive note, after 12 years, long-running musical Mamma Mia! is moving. I’ve yet to confirm the exact dates, but the hit ABBA show is moving from the Prince of Wales theatre to the Novello on Aldwych, following the excellent Crazy For You. More details when I have them!

The Young Vic has announced a new show: theatre company Sound&Fury are bringing Going Dark to the venue next March. It’s going to be an immersive show with interesting lighting, projections and sound, about a narrator in a planetarium.

Finally, the Evening Standard Theatre Awards longlist has been announced. Congratulations to the National Theatre, Matilda The Musical, Shakespeare’s Globe, Crazy for You and more who’ve all been nominated. I wouldn’t like to be the judge choosing between Benedict Cumberbatch, Jonny Lee Miller, James Corden, Ralph Fiennes, Kevin Spacey and Jude Law for the Best Actor category…

This Week’s London Cast News:

• Lindsay Duncan, Jeremy Northam, Kevin McNally and Olivia Colman will star in Noël Coward’s Hay Fever at, appropriately, the Noël Coward Theatre from 10 February next year
• Ann Emery, the original Grandma in Billy Elliot is returning to the show at the Victoria Palace from November
• Exciting news from the Menier: Frances Ruffelle (Eponine to you and me!) and Matt Rawle (who was so wonderful in Zorro) are to star in Pippin, the venue’s Christmas show.
• More Christmas news: Simon Callow will star in a new version of Charles Dickens’ festive classic, A Christmas Carol at the Arts Theatre from 8 Dec

New play The Riots will open the season on 17 November, written by Tricycle theatre regular Gillian Slovo. Slovo worked with Kent on the hugely acclaimed Guantanamo – Honor Bound To Defend Freedom. The Riots uses accounts from police, victims, onlookers, politicians, teachers, lawyers and community victims to explore what happened in London this summer and why.

The Bomb – A Partial History closes the season, running from 9 February to 1 April, and features a number of playwrights creating short pieces inspired by a central theme. Sandwiched in between is the Olivier Award-winning comedy Stones In His Pockets, directed by another regular at the Tricycle, Indhu Rubasingham.

Second, news of a new musical at the fantastic Menier Chocolate Factory. Pippin is a Tony Award-winning show by Stephen Schwartz with a coming-of-age storyline. It was first staged on Broadway in 1972, featuring Bob “Chicago” Fosse choreography. This new production is directed by Mitch Sebastian who promises to incorporate Fosse’s original choreography into his “high-concept” show. It all sounds very exciting, and I can’t wait to bring you some cast news!

Talking of casting, here’s the latest:

• TV Costume drama regular Warren Clarke plays Winston Churchill in Ben Brown’s Three Days in May at the Trafalgar Studios from the end of October
• Younger readers will recognise Ben Hanson as Bouncer from the CBBC show Tracey Beaker. This Christmas he’ll be leading the cast of Lazy Elf at the Arts Theatre from 10 to 22 December
• Two Legally Blonde stars, Simon Thomas and Siobhan Dillon, are to appear in Ex at the Soho Theatre from 10 November. They’re joined by Amy Booth-Steel and Gabriel Vick
• Finally, Craig Warnock is the new Perks in The Railway Children at the Waterloo Station Theatre, following a turn as the famous station master in the Toronto production of the show

More next week…

The new play, A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson, plays on his witty remarks and many memorable quotes. Only 90 minutes long, it’s adapted by Russell Barr, Ian Redford and Max Stafford-Clark from Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides. We are introduced to Dr Johnson and invited to look in on his life.

With very few props, the play is a compilation of Johnson moments and is very wordy; at times I craved a little more action. The acting is beautiful throughout, with a particularly stunning rendition of Johnson by Ian Redford, delivering the lines with great aplomb and possessing a manic energy that feels appropriate for this fascinating character.

Due to illness, Russell Barr has had to pull out but a very competent Luke Griffin joins the cast, taking on the role of James Boswell and a staggering seven other parts. Trudie Styler has a cameo part towards the end of the show as Johnson’s great love interest, Mrs Hester Thrale, adding another dimension to the play, interacting well with the men, making the final moments more dynamic.

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson plays at the Arts Theatre until 24 Sep 2011

Calling all folk fans and musicians… this show is for you! In fact I think anyone who appreciates music will enjoy Woody Sez at the Arts Theatre. This new musical explores the life and music of folk icon Woody Guthrie. Known more often as the man who inspired and mentored Bob Dylan, we now meet Guthrie as a legend in his own right, which is how he deserves to be remembered.

It is the four passionate performers that make this production outstanding. Aside from being very talented multi-instrumentalists they have a Guthrie wisdom and an infectious joy that make the audience immediately feel at ease; consequently it is impossible not to listen to and enjoy their journey. The stage is simply set, with a backdrop of Woody photos and instruments of all shapes and sizes lining the sides of the platform, I counted 12 in total.

There is a real fluidity about the show: the performers frequently switch characters and yet the whole story is effectively united with a long list of songs. Woody is played by the musical director and writer David M Lutken. Lutken is obviously a specialist in the subject and a very charismatic performer.

The script features 34 Guthrie songs, but with intros and encores the final number is more like 40! Darcie Deaville and Helen Jean Russell are wonderful as the female cast members. Folk music lends itself to harmonising and they create wonderful nuances with their voices. The flaws in a performer’s voice can be what makes it most beautiful. Music was definitely much more emotional before auto tune was invented!

David Finch (Andy Teirstein’s alternative) was hilarious as the fourth cast member. He played everything from classical violin to spoons – which I have never been lucky enough to see before – it is quite staggering to watch. He plays various characters through Woody’s travels, and to each part brings a new personality, it was great fun to watch.

Woody Sez introduces a cast not just of performers but of devoted musicians, their verve made this show one of the best off-West End productions I have seen in a long time.

Woody Sez continues until 2 April at the Arts Theatre. Book tickets