Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions today announce that Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke will star in Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier’s new version of Chekhov’s masterpiece The Seagull. Also directed by Ostermeier, the production will play a limited 6 week run at the Barbican Theatre from February 2025.

Blanchett stars as Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships. Arriving at her family’s country estate for the weekend, she finds herself caught up in a storm of conflicting desires. Her playwright son, Konstantin, struggles to step out of her shadow as he pursues his own artistic ambitions and her lover Trigorin, played by Tom Burke, becomes the object of affection for the aspiring young actress Nina.

As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions, and disappointments, Chekhov’s timeless story unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power, and the sacrifices made in the name of art.

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The Stage Debut Awards announce today the nominees for its annual awards ceremony, celebrating the finest emerging talent in UK theatre. This year’s 44 nominations across eight categories celebrate a diverse array of individuals from across the industry making their professional or West End debuts.

Among the highlights of this year’s nominations is the fiercely contested Best West End Debut Performer category—the only award decided by public vote. This category features some of the most celebrated names from stage and screen, including Olivier award-winner Will Close for his iconic portrayal of footballer Harry Kane in Dear England, Olivier award-nominee Jack Wolfe for his magnetic performance in Next to Normal, Emmy award-winner Billy Crudup, best known for starring opposite Reece Witherspoon and Jennifer Anniston on The Morning Show, for his solo performance in Harry Clarke, and Ted Lasso star and Emmy award-nominee Toheeb Jimoh for his role in Player Kings opposite Ian McKellen. Other notable nominees this year include Francesca Amewudah-Rivers for her starring role opposite Tom Holland in Jamie Lloyd’s Romeo and Juliet, Grace Hodgett Young for her role as Betty Schaefer alongside Nicole Scherzinger in the Olivier Award-winning Sunset Boulevard (for which she is also nominated for Best Performer in a Musical), and Ed Larkin for his poignant portrayal in The Little Big Things. Larkin, in his role as Henry Fraser, is the first actor in a wheelchair to lead a West End musical. Finally, Louis McCartney is nominated for his performance in the Olivier award-winning Stranger Things: The First Shadow, earning nods for both Best West End Debut Performer and Best Performer in a Play. Originally from Belfast, Louis was just 20 years old at the start of the run.

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Actors Touring Company (ATC), the UK’s leading producer of international plays, today announces the appointment of Jo Royce as its new Executive Director and Joint CEO. Succeeding former Executive Director and Joint CEO Andrew Smaje and interim Executive Director Amber Massie-Blomfield, Jo joins ATC at a pivotal moment in the company’s history and will work closely with Artistic Director and Joint CEO Matthew Xia. On her appointment, Jo Royce commented: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at ATC. I strongly believe in the importance of touring international stories that ask big questions, and most importantly, recognise our shared humanity. As a values-led, audience-focused theatre maker, ATC is a leader in this type of work and I can’t wait to be part of its future.”

Jo Royce brings to this role a wealth of experience and expertise, with a distinguished career that has included working with some of the most respected organisations in the arts industry such as the National Theatre, Arts Council England, Theatre Royal Stratford East and as a consultant for the Young Vic. She has twice served as Executive Director previously, first at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill (2016 – 2018), and then with the Candoco Dance Company, an internationally renowned organisation of disabled and non-disabled dancers (2018 – 2021).

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London Theatre Week is set to make a grand return with its celebration of the West End’s vibrant theatrical scene. From Monday 19th August, theatre fans can shop exclusively priced tickets starting at just £15 via the TodayTixapp and todaytix.com. With over 75 spectacular shows participating, this initiative offers fans an unparalleled opportunity to experience the best of London theatre at accessible prices.

For seasoned theatre-goers and newcomers alike, London Theatre Week provides a gateway to a diverse array of critically acclaimed productions. This year’s lineup includes both established classics like The Phantom of the Opera, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Les Misérables, plus exciting new shows such as Hello, Dolly!,MJ The Musical, and Mean Girls, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

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After selling out massive shows in the UK, US, Australia and headlining Reading and Leeds for the second time, multi-Platinum-selling, arena filling and festival headlining giants Catfish and the Bottlemen today write history and confirm their place amongst the UK’s elite acts with the announcement of their biggest live shows yet – their first ever headline stadium concerts.

The band will take over Cardiff Principality Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for two landmark performances on the 1st and 3rd August 2025. The news marks the next step in Catfish and the Bottlemen’s meteoric rise, following their epic return to the stage this summer, which has seen them sell out Liverpool’s 32,000 capacity Sefton Park and two nights at Cardiff Castle, before making their second headline Reading and Leeds Festival performance this weekend, and extensive dates across the US and Australia.

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Hall for Cornwall, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Polka Theatre have been shortlisted for the 2024 ‘UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award’. The winner will be revealed at the UK Theatre Awards, which is set to take place on Sunday 20th October at 8 Northumberland Avenue. This annual event celebrates the creative excellence and outstanding work seen in theatres across the UK.

UK Theatre member venues were invited to apply for the coveted award, with applications judged on how welcoming each venue is in the areas of ‘place’, ‘people’ and ‘programme’. The panel considered everything from the venues’ buildings and commitment to accessibility, to outreach projects and interactions with theatregoers, staff, freelancers and the local community.

With applications from all over the UK, the three finalists were selected from a large number of submissions. The judging panel will now visit the venues in person to determine the overall winner. Visits often involve meeting staff, having a tour of the building, taking part in a scheduled activity, speaking to audience members or visiting the onsite café or restaurant.

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24 years into our new century and millennium, we find our now digital dependent world one that we still are coming to terms with – current advancements within AI an existential reality that we already see ourselves faced with, and increasingly more so moving forward. Writer and director duo and twin brothers Kevin and Kelly Luu delve deeper into this phenomenon in latest short film Technicians, following David, a struggling technician tasked with installing self service manicure stations at a nail salon where he meets a Vietnamese American nail technician whose job is under threat. At a very crucial point historically where we’re starting to witness traditional jobs transition to AI, Kevin and Kelly tell us more about exploring these pertinent themes further, responses to the film from this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and being chosen as one of ten recipients of the ‘Indeed’ Rising Voices’ program, a program created to discover, invest in and share stories crafted by BIPOC filmmakers and storytellers.

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Award-winning actor Idris Elba, broadcaster and entrepreneur Maya Jama and Brit Award and Mercury Prize-winning musician and actor Little Simz are announced today as producers for the West End Transfer of Bush Theatre’s smash hit production of Shifters.

These powerhouse names from across the worlds of stage, television, film and music join forces with Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Chuchu Nwagu Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions to bring Benedict Lombe’s intoxicating new romance to London’s West End following its sold out run at  the Bush Theatre earlier this year. Directed by Lynette Linton, the play runs for a strictly limited 9 week season with previews from 12 August, the official opening night on 21 August and running until 12 October.

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With a musical catalogue that includes 18 previously released full length albums from his work with Creed, Alter Bridge and various solo endeavors, world-renowned guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mark Tremonti is back with his sixth album from his solo band, Tremonti. The new album, entitled The End Will Show Us How, is scheduled for global release on January 10, 2025 via longtime partner, Napalm Records. The new album is now available for pre-order here.

Mark Tremonti is back with a collection of 12 original compositions that continues his musical evolution while showcasing his ability to write memorable songs – something he has done for nearly three decades. Mark is backed in Tremonti by Eric Friedman (guitars), Tanner Keegan (bass) and Ryan Bennett (drums). Each song on The End Will Show Us How will take the listener on a journey as Mark set out to create an album of a dozen individual compositions each unique from the other. The debut single Just Too Much is a perfect example of this. The song opens with a driving guitar riff – the basis for the entire song – as Mark delivers the message to keep pushing forward no matter what adversity is in front of you. An official music video for the single directed by J.T. Ibanez (Sevendust) can be seen here.

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