Amongst the casting news this week is that Robert J Sherman, son and nephew of song–writing brothers Robert and Richard Sherman, leads the cast of A Spoonful of Sherman.
The show celebrates the work of the award winning writing duo whose songbook includes "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the show will also feature music from the Sherman Brothers' father, Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman.
Also in the cast are Emma Williams, who played Truly Scrumptious in the Olivier-nominated West End Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Charlotte Wakefield recently seen in The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park and Stuart Matthew Price whose credits include Parade at Donmar Warehouse). The musical director is Colin Billing.
Another offspring of famous parents takes the stage at the Jermyn Street Theatre. For a week in January, Ellie Nunn, daughter of Trevor Nunn and Imogen Stubbs, performs the one–woman show Bombshells.
Written by Australian Joanna Murray-Smith, this comedy is made of up six vignettes, each featuring a different character. The show was originally seen in London in 2004 starring Caroline O'Connor, and this its first London revival. Jack Gamble directs.
Husband and wife team Lolita Chakrabarti and Adrian Lester return to London's Tricycle Theatre with award winning Red Velvet in which Lester plays Ira Aldridge the young black American actor on London's stage in the 1800s.
Other members of the cast are Simon Chandler (Bernard/Terence), Rachel Finnegan (Halina / Betty / Margaret), Natasha Gordon (Connie), Nic Jackman (Casmir / Henry), Charlotte Lucas (Ellen), Eugene O’Hare (Pierre), and Oliver Ryan (Charles).
The première of Red Velvet last October was Indhu Rubasingham’s inaugural production as artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre.
Agatha Christie's Black Coffee has taken a lot longer to return to the stage—forty years.
Black Coffee was the writer's first play and the only one to feature the character of Hercule Poirot who, in this touring production, will be played Robert Powell.
Other members of the cast are Liza Goddard, Gary Mavers and Ben Nealon. Joe Harmston directs.
Black Coffee opens at Theatre Royal, Windsor in January and tours until May.
A Spoonful of Sherman A Celebration of the Life, Times and Songs of Robert B Sherman has two performances on 6 and 13 January at London's St James Studio.
Bombshells plays the Jermyn Street Theatre from 6 to 11 January.
Red Velvet plays the Tricycle Theatre from 23 January to 15 March (the production will then transfer to St Ann’s Warehouse, New York).
Black Coffee visits:
- Theatre Royal Windsor
- Arts Theatre Cambridge
- Theatre Royal, Bath
- Grand Theatre
- Richmond Theatre
- Regent Theatre
- New Theatre, Cardiff
- Palace Theatre
- Kings Theatre, Edinburgh
- Grand Opera House, York
- Festival Theatre, Malvern
- Hall For Cornwall, Truro
- Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
- Milton Keynes Theatre
- Belgrade Theatre, Coventry