Opening: Shores, Red, Dark Angel & Morecambe

Amongst the major openings in London – in the West End and further afield – this week are:
OPENING TONIGHT, Monday 7 December 2009 (previews from 4 December), Tom Goodman-Hill and Julian Rhind-Tutt lead the cast in the Hampstead Theatre’s Christmas show Darker Shores, which marks Anthony Clark‘s final production as artistic director. The first preview last week was cancelled after Goodman-Hill stepped in at short notice to replace League of Gentlemen star Mark Gatiss (See News, 2 Dec 2009). Until 16 January 2010.

ALSO TONIGHT, music hall musical Frank’s Closet is reprised for six weeks at Hoxton Hall, following a successful run earlier in the year. The show, which was written specifically for the venue, continues until 10 January 2010.

OPENING TUESDAY, 8 December 2009 (previews from 3 December), Alfred Molina returns to the London stage for the first time in ten years to play artist Mark Rothko in John Logan’s new play Red at the Donmar Warehouse, co-starring Eddie Redmayne (See News, 17 Apr 2009).
The play centres on Rothko who, under the watchful gaze of his young assistant and the threatening presence of a new generation of artists, takes on his greatest challenge yet: to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting. Until 6 February 2010.

ALSO ON TUESDAY, Potted Potter, a guide to all seven Harry Potter books in just 70 minutes, is back at Trafalgar Studios 2 for a third Christmas, continuing until 2 Jan 2010.

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ALSO ON TUESDAY, Aladdin opens at Theatre Royal Stratford East, brought to the stage by the same creative team, led by director Kerry Michael, who were responsible for the Olivier Award-nominated Cinderella in 2007 (See News, 25 Nov 2009). Until 16 January 2010.

ALSO ON TUESDAY (previews from 2 December), puppet specialists Blind Summit’s minimalist adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 comes to BAC (See Our Interview), continuing until 9 January 2010.

OPENING WEDNESDAY, 9 December 2009 (previews from 7 December), chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan brings her cabaret show The Dark Angel} to the Apollo Theatre for a Christmas run (See News, 26 Oct 2009). Until 16 January 2010.
** DON’T MISS the chance to get top-price tickets to Camille O’Sullivan – The Dark Angel for just £25 (normally £35) – click here for details! **

OPENING THURSDAY, 10 December 2009 (preview 9 December), Bob Golding stars in Edinburgh Fringe transfer Morecambe at the Duchess Theatre (See News, 30 Sep 2009). The show, which won a Fringe First at Edinburgh, is a one-man tribute to much-loved comedian Eric Morecambe, and continues until 17 January 2010 as part of a national tour.
ALSO ON THURSDAY (previews from 4 December), Pamela Anderson, Paul O’Grady, Ruby Wax and Anita Dobson alternate in the role of the genie in New Wimbledon Theatre’s starry mounting of Aladdin (See Feature, 9 Nov 2009).

OPENING FRIDAY, 11 December 2009 (preview 10 December), Boy Blue’s hip-hop dance musical Pied Piper comes to the Barbican Theatre for a festive season to 3 January 2010.
ALSO ON FRIDAY, hot on the heels of Arturo Brachetti (See News, 27 Aug 2009), fellow Italian quick-change artist Ennio Marchetto brings his award-winning show Ennio the Paper Cartoon to the Southbank Centre. Until 22 December 2009.

ALSO ON FRIDAY (previews from 9 December), David Fielder bah-humbugs as Scrooge in Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol at Southwark Playhouse, which continues to 9 January 2010.

OPENING SUNDAY, 13 December 2009, to mark his 60th year in showbusiness, Lionel Blair presents his Tap & Chat show at the New End Theatre, where it continues to the end of the month.