By Mark Shenton
03 Sep 2011
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| Mark Rylance will reprise his performance in Jerusalem. |
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| Photo by Simon Annand |
Amongst the major stars gracing London stages this fall will be Ralph Fiennes, Tracey Ullman, Thandie Newton, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones, Mark Rylance, Scott Bakula, Simon Russell Beale, Alex Jennings, Michael Sheen, Lenny Henry, Robert Lindsay, Joanna Lumley, Douglas Hodge, James Corden and Sharon Gless, while regionally, headliners will include Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Clarke Peters.
Some of the big shows of the fall transferring to the West End after runs elsewhere are the National’s wild farce One Man Two Guvnors and the RSC's funny, poignant musical Matilda, plus Broadway's Rock of Ages and Driving Miss Daisy, and the returns of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem and Lee Hall's The Pitmen Painters to London, both following successful runs on Broadway. There are also new plays by Mike Leigh, Conor McPherson, Nicholas Wright and even Oscar Wilde, plus revivals of plays by Arthur Miller, Arnold Wesker and John Osborne, amongst others. There's a new West End musical about the Beatles, and fringe revivals of Ragtime; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; and The Baker's Wife.
Those are just some of the headlines of a busy London fall. Now for some of the detail.
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| James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors | ||
| photo by Johan Persson |
When the National's One Man, Two Guvnors, Richard Bean's hilarious re-write of the classic Goldoni comedy A Servant of Two Masters updated to Britain's seaside resort of Brighton in the 1950s, opened on the South Bank in May, it became an instant hit and the most impossible-to-get ticket of the summer; but now, following its current regional tour, it is transferring to the West End's Adelphi Theatre (from Nov. 6, opening Nov. 21), the first non-musical to play at that address in decades, though there is a live skiffle band on hand to make it feel almost like one. There's also an outrageously funny performance from James Corden, one of the original line-up of the National's The History Boys that he subsequently reprised on Broadway, who has since gone on to become a major British TV star.
Meanwhile, the RSC also has a major hit waiting in the wings: Already anointed by some local critics as the finest homegrown musical since Billy Elliot after its Stratford opening last December, Matilda now transfers to the Cambridge Theatre (from Oct. 18, opening Nov. 22), where it replaces the long-running Chicago (though fear not, fans of fishnet and tights: that show will return to give 'em the old razzle-dazzle at the Garrick in November). Matilda, based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name about a young girl abused at home and school, has been adapted for the stage with a score by Australian comic Tim Minchin and book by playwright Dennis Kelly, and directed by Matthew Warchus.
The Pitmen Painters, originally produced at Newcastle's Live Theatre and subsequently seen at the National and on Broadway, now returns for another London run, this time at the West End's Duchess Theatre (from Oct. 5, opening Oct. 11), with several members of the original cast still on board. Mark Rylance, now with a Tony Award added to his collection of awards for Jerusalem (though he actually gave the award to the man who inspired the character he plays), also returns to reprise his stunning performance in the play, again at the Apollo Theatre (from Oct. 8, opening Oct. 17), where it originally played after transferring from the Royal Court.
Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines are also reprising their Broadway performances in Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy when it comes to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre (from Sept. 26, opening Oct. 5), while there's yet another West End run for a Broadway hit, Rock of Ages, but re-cast with local stars Justin Lee Collins and Shayne Ward (2005 winner of the U.K.'s "X Factor"), at the Shaftesbury Theatre (now previewing, opening Sept. 27).
Continued...
