The stars of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
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Opening: Tin Roof, Menier Charity, WOS Awards

Amongst the major openings in London - in the West End and further afield - this week are:

OPENING TONIGHT, Monday 30 November 2009 (previews from 25 November), Bola Agbaje's Detaining Justice, the final instalment in the Tricycle Theatre's Not Black and White season, opens at the Kilburn venue. Directed by Indhu Rubasingham (who co-directed the Tricycle's recent Great Game Afghanistan season), the play examines the relationship between an incarcerated asylum seeker and a former government prosecutor who is assigned to defend him. Until 15 December.

OPENING TUESDAY, 1 December (previews from 21 November), James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester and Sanaa Lathan star in the West End transfer of Debbie Allen’s all-black Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre (See News, 3 Jun 2009).

The 1955 play is set in a Mississippi plantation house at the time of ailing Big Daddy's birthday party, an event which sets the scene for family recriminations and revelations. Jones and Rashad reprise their Broadway performances as Big Daddy and Big Mama.

** DON'T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on 10 December, including a top-price ticket, FREE show folio poster and access to our EXCLUSIVE post-show Q&A, all for just £34.50! - click here for details! **

ALSO ON TUESDAY, following its summer success in Kensington Gardens, Peter Pan flies into a 1,350 purpose-built pavilion in the gardens at The O2, with Ciaran Kellgren reprising his role as the boy who never grew up (See News, 11 Sep 2009). Until 10 January 2010.

OPENING WEDNESDAY, 2 December 2009 (previews from 21 November) Tamzin Outhwaite stars in Matthew White's revival of Broadway musical classic Sweet Charity at the Menier Chocolate Factory (See News, 5 Jun 2009).

Sweet Charity - which has music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a book by Neil Simon, with original direction and choreography by Bob Fosse - takes a look at the seedy underbelly of 1960s New York. The gullible, enchanting heroine Charity Hope Valentine (Outhwaite) dances, laughs and cries her way through a series of whirlwind romances to show-stopping numbers including “Rhythm of Life”, “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and “Hey Big Spender”. Until 7 March 2010.

** DON'T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to Sweet Charity on 26 January 2010, including a top-price ticket, FREE programme and access to our EXCLUSIVE post-show Q&A, all for just £30! - click here for details! **

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY (previews from 1 December), Amanda Lawrence plays Carry On star Charles Hawtrey in Jiggery Pokery, an homage to the comedy great directed by Paul Hunter, which transfers from Liverpool’s Unity Theatre to the Battersea Arts Centre, where it continues to 19 December.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY, back for its 12th Christmas, the stage adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ children’s classic The Snowman opens at the Peacock Theatre, continuing until 10 January 2010.

OPENING THURSDAY, 3 December 2009, Stephen Daldry’s award-laden revival of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls moves from the Novello to Wyndham’s Theatre for a three-month run (See News, 4 Nov 2009).

ALSO ON THURSDAY (previews from 28 November), panto dame legend Clive Rowe is Widow Twankey in Susie McKenna's staging of Aladdin at Hackney Empire. Running to 9 January 2010, it marks the final production before the venue is closed for a lengthy 'period of reflection' following recent financial difficulties (See News, 24 Sep 2009).

ALSO ON THURSDAY (previews from 1 December), Tom Stoppard's rarely performed radio play Artist Descending a Staircase is revived at the Old Red Lion in Islington, with a cast including Max Irons (son of Jeremy) making his London stage debut. Until 31 December.

ON FRIDAY, 4 December, the nominations in the tenth annual Whatsonstage.com Awards, the "theatregoer's choice", are announced in a star-studded event at London's Cafe de Paris. The 2010 Awards have already attracted a record number of nominations (See News, 18 Nov 2010), and will be announced by cast members from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and, on behalf of our adopted charity Masterclass, Jeremy Irons.

ALSO ON FRIDAY, (previews from 2 December), the double bill of Fringe First-winning one-man Stefan Golaszewski Plays, portraying one man’s love at different stages of life, opens at the Bush Theatre, where it runs until 9 January (See News, 4 Aug 2009).

ALSO ON FRIDAY (previews from 3 December), Papa Tango theatre company's festive adult comedy alternative Christmas Reloaded opens at the Old Red Lion, where it continues until the end of the month.

ALSO ON FRIDAY, Phil Wilmott’s musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol returns to the King’s Head Theatre for a seasonal run until 10 January 2010.

OPENING SUNDAY, 6 December 2009, Phil Porter’s new version of Cinderella, which sets the classic tale on “a floating retirement home for elderly magicians”, opens at the Unicorn Theatre for children. Directed by Tony Graham, it continues until 24 January 2010.

- by Theo Bosanquet

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