Phil Daniels News

The theatre landscape has changed dramatically since the 1977 premier of Abigail's Party but Leigh remains as real, raw and relevant as ever before. At 77 the writer / director shows no signs of slowing down. After venturing into period pieces with Topsy-Turvey and Mr Turner, Leigh's most recent picture Peterloo is his most ambitious yet. We've put together a list of Leigh's top ten works.

BWW catches up with Richard Marsh to chat about bringing Phoenix to the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

On Friday 3 May, Wilde Theatre Productions presented Hal Cazalet and Michael Barry's collaboration for the first time in a showcase at The Place. The idea for The Happy Prince - their new musical based on Oscar Wilde's story of the same name - was born one evening in a pub in Buxton, where the two men were involved in different projects at the town's summer festival.

Hal Cazalet is a leading operamusical theatre actor and singer in the UK and US. He now turns to directing his musical adaption of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince. 

A new musical based on Oscar Wilde's classic fairy tale will be presented in three showcase performances at The Place from 3 - 4 May 2019. The Happy Prince stars Janie Dee as Mrs Bentley, Phil Daniels as The Mayor, Sophia Hurdley as The Swallow and Sam Archer as The Prince. This heart-rending story about a Swallow's faithful love for the golden statue of a Prince is told through a seamless fusion of dance and song.

West End favourite Jenna Russell made a surprisingly belated solo concert debut at Leicester Square Theatre, but, judging by this entirely winning performance, she's a natural. Seth Rudetsky, unparalleled master of the format, was on hand to accompany and guide her through a superlative set-list, as well as draw out anecdotes both deliciously foul-mouthed and funny, and unexpectedly moving.

Following a fantastic premiere earlier this summer, Cool Britannia Festival will be back at Knebworth in 2019. The festival will take place at the stately home of rock from Friday 30th August – Sunday 1st September 2019.

As the famous song from the musical Rent assures us, there are 525,600 minutes in a year and Darlington Hippodrome has filled each and every one of those minutes in the last year amassing several large numbers of its own since the venue re-opened after an 18 month restoration project.

Hot off award-winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and reunited with Matthew Dunster, who directed his hit Hangmen, Martin McDonagh brings his latest to the Bridge - quite a coup for Nick Hytner. Yet this provocative take on Hans Christian Andersen, and on the nature of storytelling, takes too scattershot an approach to fully land.

The world premiere of Martin McDonagh's A Very Very Very Dark Matter at the Bridge Theatre is directed by Matthew Dunster. The cast comprises Johnetta Eula'Mae Ackles, Alistair Benson, Elizabeth Berrington, Paul Bradley, Noah Brignull, Jim Broadbent, Phil Daniels, Regan Garcia, Leo Hart, Graeme Hawley, Audrey Hayhurst, Kundai Kanyama, Lee Knight, Jamie McKie, Ryan Pope, James Roberts, Alice Selwyn, Austin Taylor, Amelia Walter and Annabelle Westenholz-Smith including nine children who will alternate a variety of roles. The 12-week run will conclude on 6 January 2019. The London Theatre Companyproduction is designed by Anna Fleischle with lighting by Philip Gladwell, music compositions by James Maloney, sound by George Dennis, special effects by Paul Wanklin and video effects by Finn Ross.

Following a fantastic premiere earlier this summer, Cool Britannia Festival will be back at Knebworth in 2019. The festival will take place at the stately home of rock from Friday 30th August – Sunday 1st September 2019.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From gender-flipped Sondheim to David Hare and Martin McDonagh, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld reviews, interviews and features!

Rehearsals begin yesterday for the world premiere of Martin McDonagh's A Very Very Very Dark Matter at the Bridge Theatre. The cast comprises Johnetta Eula'Mae Ackles, Alistair Benson, Elizabeth Berrington, Paul Bradley, Noah Brignull, Jim Broadbent, Phil Daniels, Regan Garcia, Leo Hart, Graeme Hawley, Audrey Hayhurst, Kundai Kanyama, Lee Knight, Jamie McKie, Ryan Pope, James Roberts, Alice Selwyn, Austin Taylor, Amelia Walter and Annabelle Westenholz-Smith including nine children who will alternate a variety of roles.

Johnetta Eula'Mae Ackles, Elizabeth Berrington and Phil Daniels will join the previously announced Jim Broadbent in the world premiere of Martin McDonagh's A Very Very Very Dark Matter.

This summer sees the launch of a brand new epic music festival Cool Britannia — which will take place at Knebworth — the stately home of rock.

As thoughts turn to balmy summer evenings, Darlington Hippodrome announces a sizzling season of shows between May and September.

Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic thriller has had such an impact on the public psyche that a reference to 'Jekyll and Hyde' is universally known as referring to a person with a dual personality. An adaptation at Kingston's Rose Theatre attempts to convey the dark horror of the story where upright Dr Jekyll's secret experiments split his personality in two and reveal the murderous Mr Hyde. Unfortunately, the shocking impact of the story is lost in this overly long and un-engaging adaptation.

Phil Daniels will lead the company in the titular role of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde at the King's Theatre Edinburgh, Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 April 2018, in this new production, adapted by David Edgar and directed by Kate Saxon.

Touring Consortium Theatre Company and Rose Theatre Kingston today announce the full company for Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde adapted for the stage by David Edgar. Joining the previously announced Phil Daniels as Jekyll/Hyde are Rosie Abraham (Lucy/Maid/Singer), Sam Cox (Poole), Polly Frame (Katherine Urquart), Anyebe Godwin (Charles), Ben Jones (Lanyon/Carew), Robin Kingsland (Gabriel John Utterson), Grace Hogg-Robinson (Annie Loder) and Matthew Romain (Enfield/Parson).

Phil Daniels will lead the company in the titular role of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde at the King's Theatre Edinburgh, Tuesday 10 Saturday 14 April 2018, in this new production, adapted by David Edgar and directed by Kate Saxon.