Producer Cameron Mackintosh has unveiled the full cast for Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, which is coming to the Gielgud Theatre.
Haydn Gwynne, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Gavin Lee and Jason Pennycooke have joined a line-up that includes Broadway legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga alongside Christine Allado, Janie Dee, Bonnie Langford, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton and Beatrice Penny-Touré.
The company will also include Harry Apps, Bella Brown and Monique Young.
Devised and produced by Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends celebrates the life and work of the great Stephen Sondheim.
It is directed by Matthew Bourne, side by side with Julia McKenzie, with choreography by Stephen Mear, the Sondheim Orchestra conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo, musical supervision is by Stephen Brooker, musical arrangements by Stephen Metcalfe, set design by Matt Kinley, projection design by George Reeve, costume design by Jill Parker, lighting design by Warren Letton and sound design by Mick Potter.
Mackintosh said: “To have gathered so many West End stars, as well as two legendary Broadway performers together for a new show such as this is rare outside a gala. Only the sublime talents of Sondheim could make this happen.
“Steve was always a Broadway Baby at heart, so I’m thrilled that this last show he and I started putting together during Covid is having a life beyond its triumphant gala. Featuring 39 of the greatest songs ever written for the musical theatre, performed by an incredible cast, staged by the incomparable Matthew Bourne, side-by-side with Julia McKenzie and choreographer Stephen Mear, audiences are in for a musical evening they will never forget in one great big Broadway show.”
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends will run at the Gielgud Theatre for 16 weeks only from September 16, 2023 – January 6, 2024.
Roald Dahl’s The Witches and The Effect have been added to the National Theatre’s 2023 line-up, while casting has been announced for three more upcoming shows.
The Witches will play in the Olivier theatre from November in a new musical version of Dahl’s iconic story by Lucy Kirkwood and Dave Malloy, directed by Lyndsey Turner.
As the story goes, everything you know about witches is wrong. Forget the pointy hats and broomsticks: they’re the most dangerous creatures on earth. And now they’ve come up with their most evil plan yet.
The only thing standing in their way is Luke and his Gran. But he’s ten and she’s got a dodgy heart. Time is short, danger is everywhere, and they’ve got just one chance to stop the witches from squalloping every stinking little child in England.
Katherine Kingsley
The cast includes Katherine Kingsley (The Larkins) as the Grand High Witch and Daniel Rigby (One Man, Two Guvnors) as Mr Stringer, alongside Julie Armstrong, Chrissie Bhima, Zoe Birkett, Daniele Coombe, Molly-May Gardiner, Tiffany Graves, Tania Mathurin, Jacob Maynard, Laura Medforth and Ben Redfern.
It is directed by Turner (The Crucible) with book and lyrics by Kirkwood (Mosquitoes) and music and lyrics by Malloy (Natasha). The set and costume designer is Lizzie Clachan with choreographer Stephen Mear, music supervisor Nigel Lilley, music director Cat Beveridge, lighting designer Bruno Poet, co-sound designers Alexander Caplen and Ian Dickinson, video designer Ash J Woodward, illusions by Chris Fisher and Will Houstoun, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, associate director Séimí Campbell, staff director Priya Patel Appleby, associate set designer Shankho Chaudhuri, associate costume designer Johanna Coe, associate choreographer Jo Morris, associate music director Natalie Pound and children’s and assistant music director Sarah Morrison.
The Witches will play in the Olivier theatre from November 7, recommended for ages 8+.
Meanwhile, The Effect by Lucy Prebble (Succession) and directed by Jamie Lloyd (Cyrano de Bergerac) will play in the Lyttelton theatre from August.
A funny and intimate examination of love and ethics, Connie and Tristan are falling for each other fast – but is their sudden and intoxicating chemistry real, or a side effect of a new antidepressant? As two young volunteers in a clinical drug trial, their romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) is cast as Tristan and Taylor Russell (Bones and All) as Connie, with further casting to be announced.
Paapa EssieduLucy Prebble
The set and costume designer is Soutra Gilmour, with lighting designer Jon Clark, composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, sound designer George Dennis, movement directors Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui (SAY), fight director Kate Waters, intimacy co-ordinator Ingrid Mackinnon and casting director Alastair Coomer.
The Effect will play in the Lyttelton theatre from August 1.
The National theatre has also announced casting for the revival of The Father and the Assassin.
Director Indhu Rubasingham reunites with Anupama Chandrasekhar for this essential exploration of oppression and extremism.
Mahatma Gandhi: lawyer, champion of non-violence, beloved leader. Nathuram Godse: journalist, nationalist – and the man who murdered Gandhi. This gripping play traces Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from a devout follower of Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter in Delhi in 1948.
Hiran AbeysekeraPaul Bazely
The cast includes Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) as Nathuram Godse with Paul Bazely reprising his role as Mahatma Gandhi. The cast also includes Azan Ahmed, Ravi Aujla, Ayesha Dharker, Ravin J Ganatra, Raj Ghatak, Halema Hussain, Nadeem Islam, Tony Jayawardena, Nicholas Khan, Raj Khera, Hari Mackinnon, Sid Sagar and Akshay Shah.
The set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, with lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, movement director Lucy Cullingford, composer Siddhartha Khosla, additional music by David Shrubsole, sound designer Alexander Caplen, fight directors Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown, casting director Alastair Coomer and associate set and costume designer Khadija Raza.
The Father and the Assassin will play in the Olivier theatre September 8–October 14.
