London Datebook: A Beautiful Opening Night, New Mormon Missionaries, Monsters & More
Three-time Tony winner Mark Rylance returns to the playhouse he once ran, and the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon gets two new leads—these are just two of the highlights of a richly varied month in London. Plus, Patrick Marber’s era-defining play Closer is back on the London stage and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical premieres in the UK, with Katie Brayben stepping into Jessie Mueller’s Tony-winning shoes. For more on these shows and many others, read on.
FEBRUARY 2-8
More Mormons: As proof that you can’t get too much of a good thing, along comes the third set of American leading men to head the West End cast of The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Nic Rouleau and Brian Sears will play Elder Price and Elder Cunningham beginning February 2; the invaluable Olivier Award-winning Stephen Ashfield continues as Elder McKinley.
ALSO: Russell Labey’s adaptation of Gods and Monsters, the story of Frankenstein film director James Whale, begins February 5 at the Southwark Playhouse. Last chance February 7 to see the gifted Tobias Menzies steer his masterful way through Wallace Shawn’s solo play The Fever, which has been performed to audiences of 25 people a night in a suite at the five-star May Fair Hotel.
FEBRUARY 9-15
Closer than Ever: Patrick Marber’s career-making play Closer was an instant London sensation in 1997 and crossed the Atlantic to Broadway acclaim in 1999, with the late Natasha Richardson heading the New York cast. The on-a-roll Donmar now hosts its first London revival, beginning previews February 12 and with an eye-poppingly good cast that includes Rufus Sewell, Nancy Carroll, Oliver Chris, and newcomer Rachel Redford; David Leveaux directs.
ALSO: First performances February 10 of Michael Xavier and Anna Francolini, who are joining the Menier Chocolate Factory company of director Jamie Lloyd’s superlative revival of Assassins, replacing Aaron Tveit and Catherine Tate, respectively. (Tate then returns to the show after two weeks.) The same night sees the first preview at Wyndham’s Theatre of another of the best productions of 2014: director Ivo van Hove’s searing take on A View from the Bridge, now on the West End after deserved praise at the Young Vic. Mark Strong and Nicola Walker once again head the cast.
FEBRUARY 16-22
Coming Home: Mark Rylance has three Tony Awards to his name, not to mention the starring role in the acclaimed new TV adaptation of Wolf Hall. Not one to forget his roots, Rylance stars in the new play with music, Farinelli and the King, opening February 20 at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at his onetime home, Shakespeare’s Globe. The author is Rylance’s wife, Claire van Kampen.
ALSO: Greg Wise—also known as Emma Thompson’s husband—returns to the London stage for the first time in 17 years to lead the Park Theatre cast of Brad Fraser’s play Kill Me Now: first preview is February 19. February 22 marks the final performance of writer-performer Daniel Kitson’s delightful two-hander Tree at the Old Vic, with the popular comedian playing the inhabitant of a tree who gets a chance visit from a lovelorn Tim Key.
FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1
Crossing the Pond: The Carole King musical Beautiful has arrived in the land of the Queen. British performer Katie Brayben, most recently seen playing Princess Diana in the Mike Bartlett play King Charles III, will play the Grammy-winning singer songwriter, a role originated by Tony winner Jessie Mueller on Broadway. Alan Morrissey plays Gerry Goffin in director Marc Bruni’s production, opening February 24 at the Aldwych Theatre.
ALSO: Broadway’s favorite Frenchwoman Liliane Montevecchi (Nine, Grand Hotel), comes to the Crazy Coqs cabaret near Piccadilly Circus for five evenings beginning February 24. Last chance February 28 to see Jenna Augen’s star-making turn in the London premiere at the St. James Theatre of the off-Broadway hit Bad Jews; her excellent co-star is Ilan Goodman, son of the Olivier Award-winning actor Henry Goodman.