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Dateline:
29th May, 2005
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| The
Albery |
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| The
Strand |
Mackintosh
to Rename Two Theatres
Cameron Mackintosh is to rename two of his West End theatres as part
of the his multi-million pound improvements to his theatre stock. The
Albery will be renamed the Coward in honour of Noël Coward, whose
first play I'll Leave It to You premiered there (when it was
the New Theatre) in 1920. "I’ve long thought the legendary
Noel Coward deserved an honour in the West End, a place he did so much
to influence and glamorise,” Mackintosh said. The name change will
happen in 2006 after the theatre's refurbishment.
Also changing its name, and being revamped, is the Strand Theatre,
which will be renamed the Novello Theatre after Coward's contemporary
Ivor Novello. Its refurbishment will begin when the current production,
The Rat Pack, moves to the Savoy (opening 3rd June). It will
re-open under its new name in the autumn.
Mackintosh has already spent £7m refurbishing the Prince of Wales
and has plans for work to be done on Wyndham's, as well as building
a new 500-seater theatre, The Sondheim, as part of the revamped complex
which includes the Gielgud and the Queen's.
Lukis to Replace Spacey
Adrian Lukis will replace Kevin Spacey as C.K. Dexter Haven in The
Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic from 20th June to 6th August,
while the latter is away filming Superman Returns in which he
plays arch-villain Lex Luthor. Lukis appeared as the Old Vic last year
in Cloaca, the first
production in Spacey's time as the theatre's artistic director.
He is best known for his TV appearances, which include Pride and
Pejudice, Peak Practice, Midsomer Murders, Judge
John Deed, Spooks and Foyle's War. He played in Moira
Buffini's Dinner at Wyndham's
and The Relapse at the National.
New Stoppard at Wyndham's
Richard Griffiths, John Hurt and Ken Stott are to star in a new play
by Tom Stoppard at Wyndham's Theatre in October. Directed by Thea Sharrock,
the play will be an English version of a popular French play Le Vent
de Peupliers (The Wind in the Poplar Trees) by Gerald Sibleyras.
The production opens on 18th October (previews from 7th).
Billy Elliot
Extends
Billy Elliot the Musical (Victoria Palace) has announced an extension
of its booking period to 1st April, 2006.
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