Casting announced for West End return of The Rocky Horror Show

Further casting has been announced for the West End return of The Rocky Horror Show.

The musical runs at the Playhouse Theatre between 11th and 19th September 2015.

Joining the previously announced David Bedella as Frank ‘n’ Furter and Richard O’Brien at The Narrator are Ben Forster as Brad, Haley Flaherty as Janet.

The cast also includes Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff, Jayde Westaby as Magenta, Sophie Linder-Lee as Columbia and Richard Meek as Eddie/Dr. Scott.

UPDATE: Completing the cast are: Dominic Anderson as Rocky as well as Will Knights, Ben Kerr,  Hannah Malekzad and Rachel Grundy as Phantoms and Andrew Ahern (swing).

The show will be directed by Christopher Luscombe and produced by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group. These special London performances precede a nationwide UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show, which opens at the Theatre Royal Brighton on 17th December 2015 starring Paul Cattermole as Eddie/Dr. Scott, Ben Freeman as Brad and Diana Vickers as Janet as well as Lavercombe as Riff Raff.

Stephen Fry, Great British Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc and Spice Girl Emma Bunton are the first celebrities to be announced as special guest stars in the Gala Charity Performance of The Rocky Horror Show at thr Playhouse Theatre on 17th September. The special performance will be broadcast live to cinemas across the UK and Europe. 

Photo Feature: Celebrities attend opening of Fatal Attraction

Trevor Nunn's production of  Fatal Attraction opened at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last night (Tuesday 25th March 2014).

Guests in attendance included: Adowa Aboah, Saffron Aldridge, Laura Bailey, Jack Bannon, Jamie Blackley, Alice Brudenell-Bruce, Sol Campbell, Alfonso Cuaron, Bryan Ferry, James Fox, Bella Freud, Stephen Fry, Tierney Gearon, Jeanne Marine Geldof, Gala Gordon, Sheherazade Goldsmith, Richard E Grant, Natasha Grenfell, Nicky Haslam, Scarlett King, Meelia Kreiling, Nigella Lawson, Paul McGuinness, Danny Moynihan, Rosamund Pike, Anneka Rice, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Pamela Stephenson Connolly, George Waud and Amy Wren.

Twelfth Night and Richard III starring Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry open on Broadway

Last night (Sunday 11th November) Twelfth Night and Richard III opened at the Belsaco Theatre on Broadway with a cast led by Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry. Having originally opened at the Globe Theatre during the summer of 2013, Sonia Friedman Productions transferred the double bill to the Apollo Theatre in the West End in November of that year where the productions broke box office records.

Stephen Fry, Sonia Friedman (Producer), Mark Rylance at Gotham Hall at opening night party on Broadway for Twelfth Night and Richard III.

 Now on Broadway, the opening last night was attended by guests including Matthew Broderick, Geoffrey Rush, America Ferrera, Kenneth Lonergan, Terrace McNally and Josh Hamilton. On Broadway, Richard III and Twelfth Night use original Shakespearean practices with on-stage seating as they did both in the West End and at the Globe Theatre.

Theatre Gossip: Stephen Fry wants Lady Bracknell costumes to impress

According to the Daily Mail, Stephen Fry is in early talks with designers John Galliano, Roland Mouret and Sarah Burton for one of them to create costumes for when he stars as Lady Bracknell in a West End production of The Importance Of Being Earnest next year. Stephen will also reportedly direct the production.

He has apparently told producers that 'he wants the sets and gowns to get applause when the curtain goes up'. It was recently announced that Stephen will make his Broadway debut in Twelfth Night alongside Mark Rylance later this year.

It has been suggested that The Importance Of Being Earnest with open at either the Theatre Royal, Haymarket or the Gielgud Theatre in Spring/Autumn 2014. 

Back in January it was rumoured that the production would open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory recently opened to mixed reviews). At the time Stephen was quoted as saying that his Lady Bracknell is "a little bit of Alastair Sim's Miss Fritton, clutching pearls; with a mixture of Stanley Baxter's 'Duchess' of Brenda'."

Stephen Fry to make Broadway debut

It has been announced that Stephen Fry will make his Broadway debut later this year when the Globe's all-male productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III transfer to Broadway.

The Tony Award winning Mark Rylance will reprise his role of Olivia in Twelfth Night and as the title role in Richard III. The productions, which ran in the West End earlier this year, will open 10th November 2013 (previews from 15th October) at the Belasco Theatre.

Stephen Fry plays Malvolio in Twelfth Night, the role marked his return to acting (since he walked out of a production of Simon Gray's Cell Mates in 1995). The productions will play a limited 16-week run, marking the Broadway debut of Shakespeare's Globe.

Theatre Gossip: Stephen Fry to play Lady Bracknell in West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest?

According to The Daily Mail, Stephen Fry will play Lady Bracknell in a West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest. The article even suggests that the production will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the autumn of 2014, the same theatre where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is due to open June 2013. Please remember nothing has yet been confirmed.

Stephen Fry  apparently told The Daily Mail that his Lady Bracknell is "a little bit of Alastair Sim's Miss Fritton, clutching pearls; with a mixture of Stanley Baxter's 'Duchess' of Brenda'."