Brits on Broadway | Part 2

After the success of our first Article, 12 Brits Who are flying the Flag on Broadway, we thought we'd bring this one back and celebrate the Brits who are showing New York what they can do! It's so many peoples dream to play on Broadway and these actors are lucky enough to be doing that, so take a read and join us in celebrating these wonderful performers. 

Ruth Wilson

Originally from Surrey, Ruth has returned to Broadway to play Cordelia in King Lear. She made her Broadway debut in Nick Payne’s Constellations, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Film credits include The Little Stranger, Dark River, Suite Française, Saving Mr. Banks, The Lone Ranger, and Anna Karenina. Her London Theatre credits include Anna Christie & A Streetcar Named Desire (both at the Donmar Warehouse) and Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre. 

Ashley Andrews

A seasoned West End performer, Ashley is currently a Swing and assistant dance captain on King Kong. He most recently featured in the US transfer of Jesus Christ Superstar after being in the production in the UK, his other credits include An American in Paris, Wicked, Chicago, Billy Elliot, Jekyll and Hyde, Mack and Mabel. @ashleyjandrews 

Ralph Brown

Born in Cambridge, Ralph is currently playing Muldoon in The Ferryman. He is an actor and writer, his credits include Gemini Man, Final Score, Crying Game, Alien 3, Wayne’s World 2, Up’N’Under, I’ll Be There, Star Wars Phantom Menace, Jack The Giant Slayer, Contractor, I Anna and Tower Block. @Ralphwjbrown

Beyond Broadway: 6 Unexpected Cities for Musical Theatre Fans to Visit

A study from online ticket software company TicketSource has raised the curtain on the most popular musicals and where these productions have travelled to across the globe. 

When you think of theatre your mind probably jumps straight to Broadway and the West End, but it's not just New York and London that these productions are travelling to. 

From South America to the Far East, the study revealed some surprising destinations for musical theatre fans to add to their travel bucket list!

Watch all the West End Eurovision 2019 Video Indents & Vote for your favourite one!

Ahead of the 64th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, the casts of seven West End shows will wage battle at the Adelphi Theatre on Sunday 28 April in WEST END EUROVISION 2019.

Singing original Eurovision Song Contest songs, they will compete to win text votes from the theatre audience and the approval of a panel of celebrity judges and judges from each competing show.

Giving their all to lift four coveted WEST END EUROVISION 2019 trophies - The Champions, The Best Ident Movie, The Best Creative and the new award for this year Outstanding Gorgeousness - will be the casts of Aladdin, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Follies, Mamma Mia, Only Fools and Horses, The Phantom of the Opera (last year’s winners) and Wicked.

The first guest star performer to be announced is the fantastically glamorous Eurovision winner Dana International, who will perform DIVA, the song that took the crown for her in Birmingham in 1998. And this year’s UK Eurovision Act, Michael Rice, will be performing the UK entry, Bigger Than Us.

Pocket Size Theatre | Faces to look out for in 2019

Here at Pocket we are lucky enough to cover such a huge range of Theatre, from Opera to ballet and Fringe to West End. As a team, we see so much variety that is so hard not to recognise people for their talents. In some reviews its hard to just recognise someones talent because you have to look on it as a piece of theatre, not just singling out one persons contribution to the production. But as 2018 comes to a close, we had brought together a list of people who we think are going to be the hot names of 2019. So keep an eye out for these talents, as I'm sure you'll all see more of them soon. 

Toby Marlow | Writer

After being part of the Duo who wrote the phenomenal new musical, Six, and recently bring his new show 'Hot Gay Time Machine', which he also co-wrote Toby is on our list because the success he has achieved in such a small amount of time is astonishing and totally well deserved. Our faith in the British musical theatre scene is officially back!

Tessa Kadler | Actor

After making her West End debut as the understudy to Katherine Jenkins in Carousel at the London Coliseum, we've seen a lot from Tessa this year. From her performance as Catherine in Pippin at the Hope Mill in Manchester and later at the Southwark Playhouse to playing Kitty in the Return of the Solider at the Hope Mill also. She is currently playing Maria in the Sound of Music in Cyprus, we hope to see more of her in 2019.

Oscar Conlon-Morrey | Actor

After seeing Oscar in Toxic Avenger in 2017, we have followed his career as his performance was just a complete stand out. He has gone from strength to strength, 2018 saw him in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat at Kilworth House Theatre & most recently in Nativity. He has also been cast in the new musical adaptation of Only Fools and Horses at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the new year. Having only graduated drama school in 2017, we can't wait to see what the next few years brings him.

The 6 ‘Kinky Boots’ Moments That Will ‘Raise You Up’

“Kinky Boots” is guaranteed to lift your spirits with songs and powerful messages of acceptance. Here are our top six moments from the show that give us all the feels.

1. Always follow your heart, but never forget your roots.

Even though Charlie chooses not to follow the exact same career as his father, his dad eventually toasts to his journey and accepts that he should let Charlie discover his own path.

“Shoes can protect a man’s journey, but only his heart can choose the path. And so a toast to our own Charlie. May you never fail to point your shoes back home.”

Always chase your dreams, but never forget where you came from.

FIRST LOOK: The UK tour of Doctor Dolittle

Eccentric Doctor Dolittle embarks on an extraordinary adventure to find the Giant Pink Sea Snail that holds the secret of life and makes the world a happier place.Helped by his human companions and an exotic menagerie of animal friends, including the Pushmi-Pullyu and trusty sidekick Polynesia the parrot, the larger-than-life Doctor Dolittle teaches us not only to talk to the animals but to listen to them as well! 

As audiences join the Doctor in learning how humans and animals can live together in harmony, the musical will be helping raise funds for one of the world’s largest conservation organisations, WWF.

Through supporting the work of WWF, the musical hopes to inspire and educate audiences on the actions they can take to help fight for our world. Whilst the elusive giant pink sea snail is a creature of fiction, there are many species today which are becoming a rarer sight to see. Sadly, over the past 50 years, there have been huge losses in wildlife in the UK and abroad. Numbers of iconic species have dropped – from the skylark and water vole in the UK, to polar bears and snow leopards around the world.

This new production of Doctor Dolittle, with book, music and lyrics by double Academy Award-winner Leslie Bricusse, will be part of the 50thanniversary celebrations of the original film starring Rex Harrison and will feature the same songs, including the Academy Award-winning Talk To The Animals. Featuring stunning visual puppetry, this new production, with the book reworked by Leslie Bricusse, will be directed by Christopher Renshaw.

Audition Confessions

Photography by Pamela Raith Photography

Style over Dance Call. 

"It was my audition for Dreamgirls, it was the Dance Call and they said to bring heels. I showed up in Summer clunky wooden platforms whilst everyone else was in Character Shoes."

Always take a sick bag. 

"I was on my way to my Lion King audition, I hadn't long graduated, and I was so nervous, super late and felt sick. I had to empty my bag out so I could be sick in it. I finally turned up to the audition and got talking to this cute guy who was waiting as well, I then felt this sudden wave of nausea and in the middle of his sentence I stood up to turn around to run up the steps to the toilet and threw up all over the steps! Needless to say I didn’t get the job and never saw the guy again."

New production images released for the new London cast of MATILDA

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical has released new production images featuring the previously announced new cast of the multi-award winning show, which is now playing its eighth year in the West End having opened at the Cambridge Theatre seven years ago today on 25 October 2011. 

Hayden Tee stars as Miss Trunchbull alongside Rob Compton and Holly Dale Spencer as Mr and Mrs Wormwood, and Gina Beckwho joined the company Miss Honey in 2017. Isobel Hubble and Francesca McKeown have joined Sara Munday and Olivia Wellsin sharing the title role of Matilda. 

The London production of Matilda The Musical is booking until 20 October 2019 whilst the UK and Ireland Tour will be playing in cities across the country until 17 August 2019. For more information see www.matildathemusical.com.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, developed and directed by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Pantomime Preview | 2018

As November approaches the final preparations are under way for Pantomime across the country with the first show opening on 10^th November at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre with Cinderella and running at some venues  like the Theatre Royal York until 2^nd February 2019, and  the anticipation grows for this fantastic family festive entertainment. It once again promises to be another brilliant season with the return of old favourites and some wonderful big names being signed up for their first Pantomimes ( hope there are ready for 50 plus shows , twice a day!). Whether you plan to see your local show or venture further afield to a see one of the big productions, you are guaranteed a noisy, fun filled show with so many great traditions maintained and enhanced.

London Palladium (last year's GB Pantomime  award winner (1500 seats plus) presentsSnow Whitefrom 8^th December with a debut performance from Dawn French plus returning stars Julian Clary, Nigel Havers , Charlie Stemp  (best leading male in 2018) and Gary Wilmot after their success last year. It promises to be the biggest pantomime spectacular of them all and expect more flying objects over the audience and risqué adult humour, most of which goes over children’s heads!

Hackney Empire is another with a strong tradition of pantomime now celebrating its 20^th anniversary production. This year it is Aladdin opening on 24^th November with the wonderful Clive Rowe returning to the venue with Susie Mckenna directing and Steven Edis composing for their 20^th show together.

THEN AND NOW: Wicked the Musical

Wicked has a huge place in the musical theatre hall of Fame now, being an international hit the show still runs on Broadway after 15 years and 12 years in the West End. Although the show hasn't changed very much from the original Broadway production, we look back at the years the show has been running across a few productions. The original Broadway production, one of the first West End companies, the non-replica production in Copenhagen, a few different companies along the West End run and the current cast we have here in London. Take a look and share your favourite moments of the show with us on Twitter! @PocketSizeBlog #PocketThenNow  

Elphaba

Idina Menzel (2003), Kerry Ellis (2007), Maria Lucia (2011), Louise Dearman (2012) & Alice Fearn (2018)

Glinda

Krsitin Chenoweth (2003), Helen Dallimore (2007), Annette Heick (2011), Chandra Lee Schwartz (2012) & Sophie Evans (2018) 

FIRST LOOK: Fame the Musical, on tour around the UK

Keith Jack, Mica Paris and Jorgie Porter star in the new UK Tour of Fame – The Musical opening at Manchester Palace on 20 July for a brand new 30th Anniversary Tour.

Based on the 1980 phenomenal pop culture film, Fame – The Musical is the international smash-hit sensation following the lives of students at New York’s High School For The Performing Arts as they navigate their way through the highs and lows, the romances and the heartbreaks and the ultimate elation of life. This bittersweet but uplifting triumph of a show explores the issues that confront many young people today: prejudice, identity, pride, literacy, sexuality, substance abuse and perseverance.

DREAM CASTING: Friends the Musical

If you're like me or the majority of people on my timeline, you'll have watched the entire series of Friends on Netflix a number of times. I think I may be on my 6th rerun of it?! But it got me thinking, If there was a musical who could be in it? So I took to the internet and made my dream cast list. Tweet us and let us know who you would like to see in the musical version of Friends! @PocketSizeBlog

Rachel Green | Emily Tierney 

Ross Geller | Gerard McCarthy 

DREAM CASTING: Frozen the Musical

Alice Fearn as Elsa

Currently starring as Elphaba in Wicked in the West End, Alice has to be the best Elphaba we have ever seen in the shows history. Her portrayal of the role was original and incredibly layered whilst her voice absolutely blew me away! She'd smash this role and 'Let It Go' would be a highlight in the history of the West End

Gina Beck as Anna

After her stunning performance in Show Boat and her heart warming performance in Matilda, we think Gina would be a wonderful Anna. She has the heart and the enthusiasm and we know she'd win everyones hearts over.

DREAM CASTING: Mean Girls the Musical

Charlotte Wakefield as Cady Heron 

Fresh from her run as Polly Baker in the UK tour of Crazy for You, we'd love to see Wakefield belt out those songs as Cady Heron! 

Jodie Steele as Regina George

She has the sass and she has the voice! After seeing her blow the roof off in Heathers the Musical at The Other Palace, we think Jodie would be the perfect Regina for the London production!

FIRST LOOK: The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse, starring Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton

Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton star as Anna and Angel in The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse, opening tonight, with Stewart Clarke, Ross Dawes, Michael Lin, Elander Moore, Ben Redfern and Jason Winter will play Dino, Lino, Lucky, Benny, Lenny and Tony respectively in the first London revival in 20 years of Kander and Ebb’s THE RINK. 

The new production of THE RINK will play at Southwark Playhouse for a limited season from 25 May to 23 June 2018, with a national press night on Tuesday 29 May. 

Anna, an Italian housewife who runs a roller-skating rink on the Eastern seaboard, is about to sell it to developers until her estranged daughter, Angel, returns after a long absence, hoping to save the rink and patch things up with her mother.

FIRST LOOK: Chess at the London Coliseum

The epic musical love story CHESS starring Michael Ball as Anatoly, Alexandra Burke as Svetlana, Cedric Neal as The Arbiter, Tim Howar as Freddie, Cassidy Janson as Florence and Phillip Browne as Molokov opens tonight, Thursday 26 April 2018 (Press night on Tuesday 1 May 2018) for a strictly limited 5 week season.

This is the first West End production of Chess since 1986. CHESS was written in 1984 by ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Evita), and the original London production starred Elaine Paige, Murray Head and Tommy Korberg. That production, which ran for three years at the Prince Edward Theatre, followed a highly successful recording featuring the same stars, and included the international hit singles I Know Him So Well and One Night In Bangkok. Other well-known songs from the score include Anthem, Someone Else’s Story, Heaven Help my Heart and Pity The Child.

CHESS tells a story of love and political intrigue, set against the background of the Cold War in the late 1970s/early 1980s, in which superpowers attempt to manipulate an international chess championship for political ends. Two of the world’s greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian, are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments as their battle for the world title gets under way. Simultaneously their lives are thrown into further confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable woman who becomes the centre of their emotional triangle. This mirrors the heightened passions of the political struggles that threaten to destroy lives and loves.

Olivier Awards 2018 | Full list of Winners and Nominees

The 2018 Olivier Awards have been dominated by headlines of US smash-hit musical “Hamilton” and its record-breaking 13 nominations. “The Ferryman” by Jez Butterworth, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”, “Angels In America” and “Follies” also receiving multiple nods paved the way for a fantastic evening of recognition across all categories. Who won the evening? Keep reading to find out!

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical

WINNER: Michael Jibson for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Ross Noble for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre
Jason Pennycooke for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
Cleve September for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical

WINNER: Sheila Atim for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic

Tracie Bennett for Follies at National Theatre - Olivier
Rachel John for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
Lesley Joseph for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre

Outstanding Achievement In Music

WINNER: Hamilton - Composer-Lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda at Victoria Palace Theatre

Everybody's Talking About Jamie - Music and Orchestrations by Dan Gillespie Sells, his debut as a musical theatre composer and orchestrator at Apollo Theatre
Follies - The Orchestra, under the Music Supervision of Nicholas Skilbeck and Music Director Nigel Lilley at National Theatre - Olivier
Girl From The North Country - Music & Lyrics by Bob Dylan, Original Orchestrations & Arrangements by Simon Hale at The Old Vic

First look: Ruthless! The Musical at the Arts Theatre

Ruthless! is about to open at the Arts Theatre and the company has opened the doors to the rehearsal room to offer a sneak peek on the most outrageous musical that has ever graced the West End. Acting as the executive producer and general manager for the London run, the Menier Chocolate Factory is currently hosting the star-studded cast, who we found tirelessly going over the dazzling musical numbers. 

A frothy Kim Maresca reprises her role as Judy Denmark, after a successful off-Broadway run. During the taster event, she interpreted the opening motif Tina's Mother and was soon joined on stage by the delicious Dancing on Ice judge Jason Gardiner. His presence in drag as Tina's agent Sylvia St. Croix is a guaranteed recipe for success.

Tina's drunken grandmother is brought to life by the legendary Tracie Bennett, whereas the protagonist herself, the eight-year-old Tina, is played in turns by four exceptionally talented young performers: Charlotte Breen, Lucy Simmonds, Anya Evans, and Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier.

10 Most Iconic Mothers in Musical Theatre | Mothers Day Special

Mamma Rose in Gypsy 

Donna in Mamma Mia 

Diana in Next to Normal 

Best Couples in Musical Theatre!

Elphaba and Fiyero from WICKED

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George and Albin from LA CAGE AUX FOLLES