London Datebook: Everything's Coming Up Imelda, Damian Lewis & John Goodman in American Buffalo & More April Picks

Spring is in the air and with it a raft of high-profile openings that include the West End bow of Imelda Staunton’s show-stopping Rose in Gypsy, a gala concert of Follies in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 85th birthday and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s return to the London stage for the first time since his Oscar nod for 12 Years A Slave. For more on these and other enticements, read on.

APRIL 6-12
Light the Lights: It’s the final full week of previews prior to the April 15 opening of Imelda Staunton’s soul-stirring performance as Rose in Gypsy, a musical not seen on the West End since Angela Lansbury triumphed in the same part over 40 years ago.

ALSO: April 12 marks this year’s Oliviers with Lenny Henry hosting the gala event at the Royal Opera House and Judi Dench and Dame Angela herself among the presenters. Will Beautiful beat Memphis to take the top prize? Will the Ivo van Hove-directed revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge poised to sweep the play categories? Time will tell. The same night sees the final performance of Emma Thompson’s return to the London stage as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at the Coliseum, reprising a part in which she previously appeared with the New York Philharmonic.

APRIL 13-19
“Buffalo” John: John Goodman makes his British stage debut alongside Homeland’s Damian Lewis and 2013 Tony nominee Tom Sturridge (Orphans) in David Mamet’s American Buffalo, which is being revived for 10 weeks starting April 16 at Wyndham’s Theatre.

ALSO: The Roald Dahl bandwagon continues with the opening April 14 at the Royal Court of The Twits, which will join Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda in an ad hoc Dahl festival across the capital. Jason Watkins and Jerusalem’s Aimee-Ffion Edwards head the cast and Tony winner John Tiffany (Once) directs.

APRIL 20-26
Out of the Woods: That vaunted tragedian Eugene O’Neill did write one unabashed comedy and now his 1933 Ah, Wilderness! gets a rare revival opening April 21 at the Young Vic. Natalie Abrahami directs a cast that includes Janie Dee, Dominic Rowan and George MacKay.

ALSO: The full post-opening week at the Almeida Theatre for Carmen Disruption, the latest play from the busy pen of Simon Stephens, currently represented in the West End and on Broadway by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Constellations director Michael Longhurst is at the helm and 2015 Olivier nominee John Light (Taken at Midnight) heads the cast.

APRIL 27 – MAY 3
Center-Stage Chiwetel: The brilliant Chiwetel Ejiofor, an Olivier Award winner and 2014 Oscar nominee, returns to the London stage to head up the National Theatre production of Everyman, opening April 29. Rufus Norris, the National’s new artistic director, takes the reins with Nick Holder and Olivier winner Sharon D. Clarke among the supporting cast.

ALSO: Hats off, here they come as the Stephen Sondheim/James Goldman musical Follies gets a starry concert staging for two performances only on April 28. The quartet of lovers on this occasion is headed by Ruthie Henshall and Christine Baranski as Sally and Phyllis with Alexander Hanson and Peter Polycarpou playing Ben and Buddy. The eclectic supporting cast includes Anita Harris, Anita Dobson and, returning to London to belt out “I’m Still Here,” Betty Buckley.