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Dateline: 19th December, 2004

Billy Elliot Casting Announced
The adult casting for Billy Elliot the Musical has been announced.

The part of dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, played in the film by Julie Walters, will be taken by Haydn Gwynne whilst Billy's dad will be played by North East actor Tim Healy, best known for Auf Wiedersehen, Pet! Brother Tony will be played by Joe Caffrey. His mother is played by Stephanie Putson (Our Friends in the North and Gambling Man) and his grandmother Anne Rogers. Steve Elias is Mr Braithwaite and George the boxing coach is played by Newcastle Live Theatre stalwart Trevor Fox.

The emsemble consists of Daniel Coll, Erica Ann Deakin, Alex Delamere, Damien Delaney, Susan Fay, Alan Forrester, Isaac James, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Chris Lennon, David Massey, Michelle McAvoy, Karl Morgan, Daniel Page, Steve Paget, Lee Proud, Mike Scott, Phil Snowden and Tessa Worsley.

Directed by Stephen Daldry, the production opens at the Victoria Place on 11th May, previewing from 25th March.

Almeida Hedda Casting
The Almeida's production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler will feature Eve Best in the leading role, with Benedict Cumberbatch (George Tesman), Lisa Dillon (Thea Elvsted), Iain Glen (Judge Brack), Jamie Sives (Eilert Loevborg) and Gillian Raine (Juliana Tesman).

The production, directed by Richard Eyre, opens on 16th March, 2005 (previews from 11th), and will run until 30th April.

Poppins Exceeds Sales Budget
The West End production of Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre) has already exceeded the advance sales budget set by its producers. According to Reuters that budget - well over £1m - was exceeded only two days after the show opened.

Lane Pulls Out of Royal Performance
Nathan Lane had to pull out of a performance of The Producers, attended by the Prince of Wales and Cailla Parker Bowles, because of "back spasms". He was replaced by his understudy. According to reports, a number of members of the audience asked for their money back.

Lane had replaced Richard Dreyfuss who pulled out of the production because of injury.

Stephen Mallatratt
We have just learned that actor and writer Stephen Mallatratt has died of leukemia at the age of 57. The author of the second longest running West End production, The Woman in Black, died on 22nd November.

He began his career as an actor but turned to writing early in his career when working with Alan Ayckboune at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough in the mid-seventies with his first play An Englishman's Home.

Ying Tong West End Transfer
The West Yorkshire Playhouse production of Roy Smiles' play about Spike Milligan and the Goon Show, Ying Tong, transfers to the West End's New Ambassadors Theatre on 14th February (previews from 10th). Ying Tong is the first play of a what Smiles calles his Dead Comedians trilogy. To come are The Lad Himself (about Tony Hancock) and The Bitter End (about Groucho Marx/Lenny Bruce).

Extending
Sweeney Todd (New Ambassadors) has extended to 5th February, when it will close.
Jailhouse Rock will transfer to the Albery in May.

Index A-F
Index G-K
Index L-Q
Index R-Z

News Archive A-L
News Archive M-Z
Production News Archive

Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.

©Peter Lathan 2004