Annette McLaughlin News

Rehearsals began this week for the third West End cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child who will start their performances at the Palace Theatre in London on 23 May 2018 following the final performance from the current cast on 20 May 2018.

A co-production with the Tricycle Theatre, Francis Turnly's new thriller The Great Wave opens at the National Theatre. This production marks actress Rosalind Chao's debut both at the National and on the West End stage. However, she is no stranger to the Dorfman theatre. Catching up during rehearsals, Rosalind shares how she got started in acting, who inspires her, and why this play is so timely.

New casting announced for the new National Theatre season. Full cast has been announced for Brian Friel's Translations including Colin Morgan and Ciaran Hinds, part of the Travelex season with thousands of tickets available at £15. Eric Kofi Abrefa and Thalissa Teixeira join Vanessa Kirby in the cast of Julie, part of the Travelex season with thousands of tickets available at £15. Sam Mendes directs The Lehman Trilogy, a co-production with Neal Street Productions, cast includes Adam Godley, Ben Miles and Simon Russell Beale. Full casting is announced for the award winning An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, transferring to the National Theatre in a co-production with the Orange Tree Theatre. The NT will tour to 30 venues in 27 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, for a total of 83 playing weeks over the next year. Rufus Norris' Macbeth to tour to 18 venues across the UK and Ireland from autumn 2018. War Horse returns to the National Theatre marking the centenary of Armistice Day.

The National Theatre is staging a first. With the blessing from Disney, Dennis Kelly's Pinocchio is the first musical production to feature the songs from the classic 1940 film. Playing the Blue Fairy, Annette McLaughlin takes us through the creative and collaborative process behind this reimagining. Talking magic, music and 12ft puppets, she shares how dreams really do come true (and not just when you wish upon a star).

Visit the alpine forest this winter as Pinocchio makes its world premiere at the National Theatre. On a quest to be truly alive, Pinocchio leaves Geppetto's workshop with Jiminy Cricket in tow. Their electrifying adventure takes them from alpine forests to Pleasure Island to the bottom of the ocean. Joe Idris-Roberts plays the title role, with Audrey Brisson as Jiminy Cricket and David Langham as the Fox. Let's see what the critics had to say!

Visit the alpine forest this winter as Pinocchio makes its world premiere at the National Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a look at the cast in action below!

The puppet who wants to be a real boy is all grown up in this new musical version - very much the darker side of Disney. Book writer Dennis Kelly went back to the original 19th-century Italian tale, by Collodi, and tonally, John Tiffany's production leans more towards that incarnation: a Pinocchio recognisably in the tradition of grim Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Dates and casting have announced for new National Theatre season!

Pinocchio by Dennis Kelly, featuring songs and score from the Walt Disney film by Leigh Harline, Ned Washington & Paul J Smith, adapted by Martin Lowe, begins previews from 1 December at the National Theatre, with press night set for 13 December 2017. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

National Theatre has announced today the new season for June 2017 - January 2018. Take a look at the shows coming to the theatre!

The winner of 10 Tony and 5 Olivier Awards, Billy Elliot the Musical will be at Birmingham Hippodrome for the first time ever from Tue 7 Mar - Sat 29 Apr 2017. Seen by almost 11 million people worldwide, Billy Elliot the Musical is set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984/85 miners' strike and follows Billy's journey from boxing to ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.

Shakespeare's Globe is delighted to announce casting for Romeo and Juliet directed by Daniel Kramer, and Twelfth Night directed by Emma Rice.

The producers of the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical are delighted to announce that the four boys who will play the title role in the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the iconic musical are Adam Abbou (12 years old from Liverpool), Matthew Lyons (11 years old from Leeds), Haydn May (11 years old from Bath) and Lewis Smallman (12 years old from West Bromwich).

The producers of the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical are delighted to announce that the four boys who will play the title role in the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the iconic musical are Adam Abbou (12 years old from Liverpool),Matthew Lyons (11 years old from Leeds), Haydn May (11 years old from Bath) and Lewis Smallman (12 years old from West Bromwich). The boys were cast following nationwide auditions and after months of intensive rehearsals began alternating in the role following the show's opening earlier in the year.  Billy Elliot the musical opens at The Bristol Hippodrome on Tuesday 25thOctober and runs until Saturday 26th November 2016.

The producers of the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical are delighted to announce that the four boys who will play the title role in the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the iconic musical are Adam Abbou (12 years old from Liverpool), Matthew Lyons (11 years old from Leeds), Haydn May (11 years old from Bath) and Lewis Smallman (12 years old from West Bromwich).

The producers of the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical are delighted to announce that the four boys who will play the title role in the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the iconic musical are Adam Abbou (12 years old from Liverpool), Matthew Lyons (11 years old from Leeds), Haydn May (11 years old from Bath) and Lewis Smallman (12 years old from West Bromwich). The boys were cast following nationwide auditions and after months of intensive rehearsals will alternate in the role when the show opens at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Wednesday 24 February 2016.

The Daily Mail reports that Annette McLaughlin, Martin Walsh and Scott Garnham will star in the first UK and Ireland tour of Billy Elliot THE MUSICAL, opening at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on February 24. 

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: Stage stars join the New York Pops for a Christmas concert and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF opens on Broadway!

An army of artists including Ian McKellen, Stanley Tucci, Andrew Scott, Bertie Carvel, Jeremy Irvine, Jessica Brown Findlay, and many more will read Homer's sequel, THE ODYSSEY, which will be live-streamed free from unusual and iconic locations across London to celebrate the end of Almeida Greeks, today 12 November 2015.

An army of artists including Ian McKellen, Stanley Tucci, Andrew Scott, Bertie Carvel, Jeremy Irvine, Jessica Brown Findlay, and many more will read Homer's sequel, THE ODYSSEY, which will be live-streamed free from unusual and iconic locations across London to celebrate the end of Almeida Greeks, on Thursday 12 November 2015.