Opening: Joe, Sherlock, Leenane & NT Danton

OPENING TUESDAY, 20 July 2010 (previews from 14 July), disco diva Kym Mazelle and Over The Rainbow finalist Steph Fearon lead the cast in a revival of 1995 musical revue show Smokey Joe’s Cafe
at the Landor Theatre. Featuring 39 pop standards, including “Hound
Dog”, “Stand by Me” and “Poison Ivy”, it continues until 15 August.

** DON’T MISS our exclusive Whatsonstage.com Outing to Smokey Joe’s Cafe
on
29 July 2010 including a FREE programme and a chance to meet Steph and
the cast at our EXCLUSIVE post-show reception in the pub – click here for details! **

ALSO ON TUESDAY (previews from 15 July), following the early closure of The Fantasticks, the West End’s recently refurbished Duchess Theatre plays host to The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, which stars Peter Egan and Robert Daws as the iconic detective duo.

ALSO ON TUESDAY, (previews from 14 July), teenager Anya Reiss’ debut play Spur of the Moment premieres at the Royal Court Upstairs. Examining the distance between close family relations and a young girl on the brink of adolescence, it continues until 14 August 2010.

OPENING WEDNESDAY, 21 July 2010 (previews from 15 July), Martin McDonagh’s modern classic The Beauty Queen of Leenane, centring on lonely spinster Maureen and her devilishly manipulative mother Mag, receives its first major London revival at the Young Vic. With a cast led by Susan Lynch and Rosaleen Linehan, it continues to 21 August.
ALSO ON WEDNESDAY (preview 20 July), Schiller’s rarely performed early play Intrigue/Love is revived at Southwark Playhouse in a new version by Daniel Millar and Mark Leipacher. Until 7 August.

OPENING THURSDAY, 22 July 2010 (previews from 15 July), Donmar artistic director Michael Grandage makes his National Theatre debut with Howard Brenton‘s new version of Buchner’s Danton’s Death, starring Toby Stephens (also making his NT debut) in the Olivier. Billed as having “a claim to be the greatest political tragedy ever written”, it runs in rep until 14 October.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, (previews from 20 July), Bernard Shaw’s The Philanderer is revived at the Greenwich Playhouse by Sell a Door Theatre Company, continuing until 15 August.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, the Young Vic’s Maria Studio plays host to No Idea, created by Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence (with Improbable), who hit the streets to ask people what the show should be about. Until 31 July.

OPENING FRIDAY, 23 July 2010, Watch This Space, the National Theatre’s annual outdoor festival of free theatre, commences in the spaces surrounding the south bank venue (See News, 3 Jun 2010).