Stagey Catch Up: Jake Gyllenhaal lands another musical role, Declan Bennett set for final Made In LDN & Woman in Black to tour UK

Here are some stagey stories to keep you up-to-date with theatreland!

Jake Gyllenhaal to star in Sunday in the Park With George

Having starred in Little Shop of Horrors last year, Jake Gyllenhaal is taking on another musical. The Hollywood actor will play the title role in Sunday in the Park with George for a one-night-only benefit performance for New York City Center on 14th October 2016. Gyllenhaal has previously appeared in If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet on Broadway and This Is Our Youth in the West End. Surely he has to take on a major Broadway/West End musical soon..?!

Declan Bennett, Jamie Muscato and Tori Allen-Martin to star in final Made In LDN

Interval Productions will present the final Made In LDN at the Cockpit Theatre on 12th June. Showcasing new British musical theatre writing, Declan Bennett will perform An Innocent Evening of Drinking which is a musical he co-write with Phil Griffin. The cast will also include Interval's Tori Allen-Martin as well as Jamie Muscato and Callum Fitzgerald. Interval will also share an excerpt from a work in development, Boxed.

The Woman in Black to launch new tour

Having celebrated its 27th West End birthday earlier this week, The Woman in Black is set to launch a brand new UK tour. The tour will open in September 2016 at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre and run until the end June 2017, visiting over 30 theatres nationwide. Robin Herford’s production, adapted from Susan Hill’s best-selling novel, has terrified over 7 million theatregoers since it first opened.

Idina Menzel, Tituss Burgess & Sara Bareilles to guest star in Julie Andrews' Netflix series

Idina Menzel, Tituss Burgess and Sara Bareilles will be guest stars on the upcoming Netflix children’s program created by Julie Andrews. Julie’s Greenroom is designed to introduce pint-size viewers to various aspects of the performing arts. Andrews will play the leader of a performing arts company who works with a host of new puppet characters created by the Jim Henson Co. The series will feature original music, with guests also including Alec Baldwin, Joshua Bell, Carol Burnett, Chris Colfer, Robert Fairchild, Josh Groban, David Hyde Pierce, Bill Irwin and Ellie Kemper.

ATG to produce new Frank Sinatra musical

Photo Credit: Universal Music Group + Frank Sinatra Enterprises

The Ambassador Theatre Group is to produce a brand new stage musical based on the life of Frank Sinatra, in partnership with Stewart Till and Frank Sinatra Enterprises. The show, which is planned to open in 2018, will feature a number of timeless hit songs from Sinatra’s catalogue of over 1,400 tracks recorded during his illustrious career. Script development for the Sinatra musical is planned to start shortly.

Nadim Naaman teases new album

With under two weeks until Phantom of the Opera's Nadim Naaman releases his second album Sides, the actor has released previews of some tracks. The album features nine orignal songs and nine musical theatre covers. There are duets with Celinde Schoenmaker, Eva Noblezada, Gerónimo Rauch, Jeremy Secomb, Laura Tebbutt and Rob Houchen. Click here to read our recent interview with Naaman about Sides.

Ramin Karimloo prepares for Palladium concert


In just over one month West End and Broadway icon Ramin Karimloo will play a solo show at the London Palladium. Ahead of the concert, Karimloo has released a must-see montage video featuring some of his career highlights. Performing a selection of classics from musicals alongside his own Broadgrass songs, Karimloo will be joined at the Palladium by his band including Sergio Ortega, Hadley Fraser and Alan Markley with backing vocals from Katie Birtill.