All stories by Matthew Hemley on BroadwayStars

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Production News: Popular characters from drama and comedies to oust presenters in R4 invasion by Matthew Hemley

Dawn French is to reprise her role as Geraldine Granger from The Vicar of Dibley as part of a special BBC Radio 4 event that will see popular characters "invade the station and take over...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Production News: Mormon's Gavin Creel to appear as part of Singular Sensations by Matthew Hemley

Songwriters George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and West End performer Gavin Creel are to appear as part of Singular Sensations at the Charing Cross Theatre. Singular Sensations, presented by Ed…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:04AM[SHARE]

Production News: Gay wedding to be staged as a musical on Channel 4 by Matthew Hemley

Channel 4 is to mark same-sex marriage becoming legal in England and Wales by broadcasting a gay wedding that will be staged as a musical. As part of Our Gay Wedding " the Musical, grooms...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Production News: BFI to explore the future of opera on TV by Matthew Hemley

Director Jonathan Miller will debate the future of opera on television as part of a season at the British Film Institute. The season is called Opera on TV and forms part of the BFI's annual.…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:42AM[SHARE]

Production News: Friends actor Matthew Perry to star in Sky Arts' Playhouse Presents season by Matthew Hemley

Former Friends actor Matthew Perry will make his UK TV comedy debut in a programme for Sky Arts' Playhouse Presents season, which will also feature Jo Brand, Billie Piper, Richard Wilson and…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:54AM[SHARE]

News: Olivia Colman and Idris Elba nominated for RTS programme awards by Matthew Hemley

Olivia Colman and Idris Elba have been nominated for Royal Television Society programme awards for their work on ITV's Broadchurch and BBC1's Luther respectively. Colman is nominated in the …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:07AM[SHARE]
Sunday, March 2, 2014

Production News: Gemma Arterton to star in Made in Dagenham musical by Matthew Hemley

Gemma Arterton is to star in a musical version of Made in Dagenham, directed by Rupert Goold. Based on the film of the same name, the show will open at the Adelphi Theatre in London...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:01PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 28, 2014

Production News: Further previews of I Can't Sing! cancelled by Matthew Hemley

Further previews of X Factor musical I Can’t Sing! have been cancelled, with producers blaming an “integral” part of the set that is not currently working properly. Preview…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 04:54PM[SHARE]

News: War Horse beats The Audience to become most popular NT Live show by Matthew Hemley

War Horse has become the most popular production to be screened to cinemas as part of the National Theatre Live initiative, with 125,000 people in the UK alone watching last night's performa…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:44AM[SHARE]

Production News: BBC1 orders new dramas from Lenny Henry and Mike Bartlett by Matthew Hemley

BBC1 is to broadcast new dramas from Lenny Henry, Mike Bartlett and Steve Pemberton, as part of a range of new commissions that will also see the channel become the exclusive home to Agatha …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:09AM[SHARE]

Production News: Ruthie Henshall to join the cast of Billy Elliot by Matthew Hemley

Ruthie Henshall is to join the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical in the role of Mrs Wilkinson. She will join the production on May 12, nine years to the day that the show officially...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:44AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 27, 2014

Hemley on TV: Awards ceremonies " just actors 'slapping each other on the back'? by Matthew Hemley

Should we have awards ceremonies for actors? This is the question that was in my mind having watched the BBC's Newswatch programme last weekend, in which several viewers wrote to complain to…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:00AM[SHARE]

News: ITV comedy commissioner to return to the BBC by Matthew Hemley

ITV commissioning editor for comedy Myfanwy Moore is to join the BBC as controller of comedy production. In her role, she will lead the Corporation's in-house comedy production department an…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:16AM[SHARE]

Production News: Linzi Hateley to join Brian Conley in Barnum tour by Matthew Hemley

Linzi Hateley is to join Brian Conley in the touring production of Barnum. As revealed by The Stage last year, Conley will take the lead in Cameron Mackintosh's and Michael Harrison's produc…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:15AM[SHARE]

News: Updated iPlayer to showcase new talent and original drama by Matthew Hemley

A revamped iPlayer will be launched by the BBC next month, with its head of TV content claiming it will become a "creative platform to grow new forms of drama and showcase new talent". The...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:01AM[SHARE]

News: Off-West End musical producer in fraud arrest by Matthew Hemley

Police have arrested one of the producers behind cancelled Off-West End musical The Golden Voice on suspicion of fraud. Rob Hewitt, a co-producer of the show that was due to star Darren Day,…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 26, 2014

News: Mid-Wales theatre trio loses £57k grant by Matthew Hemley

A consortium of theatres in mid Wales is to lose its entire £57,000 annual grant from one of its three local authority funders from April, leading to fears of job losses at the venues. Th…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:17PM[SHARE]

News: Regional arts must not be boosted by cutting funding for London " BECTU by Matthew Hemley

Arts Council England's funding for culture in the regions should be improved but must not come "at the cost of reducing funding in London", backstage union BECTU has warned. In its submissio…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:06PM[SHARE]

News: Equity: ACE must tackle 'working for free' culture by Matthew Hemley

Equity has called on Arts Council England to do more to tackle the issue of unpaid work in the culture sector, claiming action is needed before working for free becomes "so endemic that many…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:00PM[SHARE]

News: Dench and McKellen help reopen Robin Hood Theatre by Matthew Hemley

Judi Dench has joined performers Ian McKellen and Sylvia Syms in donating money towards securing the future of a 150-seat theatre that has been dark for seven years. The Robin Hood Theatre, …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:48AM[SHARE]

News: BBC boss Tony Hall vows to protect drama under further cost-cutting measures by Matthew Hemley

BBC director general Tony Hall has revealed plans for a further £100 million of savings, but has vowed to protect the Corporation's drama output under new cost-cutting plans. Hall said th…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:23AM[SHARE]

Production News: Harry Burton to direct new production of I Found My Horn by Matthew Hemley

Barking in Essex director Harry Burton is helming a new production of I Found My Horn at the Trafalgar Studios. The play, by Jasper Rees and Jonathan Guy Lewis, will run at the Trafalgar Stu…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:03AM[SHARE]

Production News: Tim Pigott-Smith to star in Almeida's King Charles III by Matthew Hemley

Tim Pigott-Smith is to star in King Charles III at the Almeida Theatre. Mike Bartlett's play, which will run from April 3 to May 31, will also feature Oliver Chris, Katie Brayben, Richard Go…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:45AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 24, 2014

Production News: Niamh Perry to lead the cast of The Beautiful Game revival by Matthew Hemley

Niamh Perry, a finalist in the BBC's I'd Do Anything series, is to star in a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Beautiful Game. The production will run at the Union Theatre from April 3...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:51AM[SHARE]

Production News: X Factor musical I Can't Sing! cancels first two previews by Matthew Hemley

I Can't Sing!, the musical inspired by The X Factor, has cancelled its first two preview shows because of "technical issues caused by the ambitious staging" of the show. In a statement, prod…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:53AM[SHARE]

Production News: Ryan Molloy to join Stratford East's Fings Ain't What They Used T'Be by Matthew Hemley

Ryan Molloy's first role after leaving the musical Jersey Boys will be in Theatre Royal Stratford East's production of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be. Molloy, who leaves Jersey Boys on March…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:38AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 23, 2014

Interviews: Alfie Boe: another string… by Matthew Hemley

Well known for his performances in musicals such as Les Miserables, Alfie Boe talks to Matthew Hemley about the challenges of TV acting and the extra dimension it brings to his career

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 04:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, February 21, 2014

News: Kenneth Williams' former London home marked with blue plaque by Matthew Hemley

Kenneth Williams has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque, unveiled today on what would have been his 88th birthday. The Carry On star's plaque has been placed on the wall …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:01PM[SHARE]

Production News: Leigh Zimmerman to join West End cast of Relative Values by Matthew Hemley

Leigh Zimmerman is to join the cast of Relative Values when it transfers to the West End in March. Zimmerman will play Miranda Frayle in Theatre Royal Bath Productions' staging of Noel Cowar…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:38AM[SHARE]

Production News: Doctor Who's Arthur Darvill to join the cast of Once by Matthew Hemley

Doctor Who actor Arthur Darvill is to star in the musical Once from March 17. He will play Guy in the show, which is directed by John Tiffany and is currently running at the Phoenix...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:30AM[SHARE]

Production News: Ben Richards and Noel Sullivan to lead cast of Rock of Ages tour by Matthew Hemley

Ben Richards and Noel Sullivan are to star in the UK tour of Rock of Ages, which opens at the Palace Theatre in Manchester in May. Richards, whose credits include 9 to 5 the Musical...

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:51AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off