Great news from the Charing Cross Theatre where my friends, the director Thom Southerland and producer Danielle Tarento are to helm a new season of musical theatre.
They kick off with a re-staging of their highly acclaimed production of TITANIC, originally seen at the Southwark Playhouse in 2013, revived with great success in Canada and long tipped for a central London run.
This will be followed by a new production of Noel Gay’s RADIO TIMES, a gentle and delightful piece which hasn't been seen in London since its ill-fated première. Celebrating vintage radio nostalgia it runs from August 20 to October 1.
This will be followed by RAGTIME, by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens from October 8 to November 26 and the European premiere of DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, by Maury Yeston who also wrote TITANIC, which runs from December 3 to January 2.
I particularly admire the daring of these last two choices. The large culturally diverse cast required For RAG TIME is going to prove tricky to assemble on a budget and DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY is a brave choice with which to compete in London’s crowded Christmas market.
The team face other challenges too. I'm very fond of the Charring Cross Theatre and have directed 4 shows there, enjoying the best of times and worst of times with past managements. Yet even the most loyal of the venue’s dwindling cheerleaders would admit an extraordinary run of critical flops has turned it into a joke amongst critics.
It’ll be tough to mesh the positive vibe around Southerland and Tarento with the mood at the Charing Cross Theatre but if they hold on tight during the bumpy journey ahead this breath of fresh air from London’s fringe could be just what the place needs.
You only have to look at the success of the similar sized and less favourably located St James’s Theatre to see how much London needs intelligently programmed smaller theatres.
Like so many people I’m a massive fan of the fantasy TV saga GAME OF THRONES so when it was announced that one of the show’s biggest stars, Kit Harington, who plays the central character Jon Snow, was to appear in the title role of DR FAUSTUS I knew there’d be a stampede at the box office. 