Theatre News

Plays Extend: War Horse Hits Broadway, Mousetrap

The National Theatre’s multi award-winning production of War Horse has extended booking at the New London theatre to 12 February 2011 and confirmed plans for a Broadway transfer.

The production will play in New York at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in the Lincoln Center, opening on 14 April 2011 (previews from previewing from 17 March 2011), presented by Lincoln Center Theater and the National Theatre in association with Bob Boyett. Casting and booking dates will be announced shortly.

After two seasons on the South Bank, where it premiered in October 2007, War Horse transferred to the West End, opening on 3 April 2009 (previews from 28 March) at the New London theatre (See News, 18 Dec 2008). The production is co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris and designed by Rae Smith, with lighting by Paule Constable, movement by Toby Sedgwick and music by Adrian Sutton.

In Nick Stafford’s stage version of Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 children’s book, young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France during the First World War. Unable to forget Joey and still too young to enlist, the boy embarks on a treacherous mission to find the horse and bring him home.

From 14 April 2010 the West End cast will comprise: Jacob Anderson (Billy), Matthew Aubrey (Albert Narracott), James Barriscale (Chapman Carter/Colonel Strauss/Sgt. Fine), Nigel Betts (Arthur Narracott/Sgt. Thunder), Andrew Bridgmont, Matthew Burgess, Emily Cooper, Vanessa Faye-Stanley, Matthew Forbes, Ross Green, David Grewcock, Robin Guiver, Stephen Harper, Nicolas Karimi, Sarah Mardel, Jess Murphy, Eamonn O’Dwyer, Toby OIie, David Ononokpono, Ian Piears, Malcolm Ridley, Ruth Rogers, William Rycroft, Abdul Salis, Rachel Sanders, Anthony Shuster, Perri Snowden, Ben Thompson, Zubin Varla, Andy Williams and Thomas Wilton.
 


At St Martin’s Theatre, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest-running play, has increased its booking period by seven months – tickets are now on sale to 20 November 2010.

The classic whodunit – which celebrated its 50th West End anniversary, with HM The Queen in attendance, on 25 November 2002 – has become a Theatreland institution. The show originally opened next door at the Ambassadors and transferred to St Martin’s, after 20 years in its original home, in 1974. The Mousetrap is directed by David Turner.