London Odds & Ends: Heathers—The Musical Will Arrive in U.K. & More

Here's a quick roundup of recent London stories.

Heathers—The Musical Will Arrive in U.K.
The hit stage-musical adaptation of the '80s cult-classic movie Heathers is bound for London. Following an acclaimed 2017 workshop production, the tuner will arrive at the Other Palace Theatre on June 9 for a limited eight-week run through August 4. The twisted tale of teen drama, friendship and deadly obsession will star West End alum Carrie Hope Fletcher in the lead role of Veronica Sawyer. The hit musical by award-winning writing team Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde) and Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness) will be directed by Andy Fickman. 

Gemma Sutton to Join Caroline O'Connor in The Rink
Recent Anastasia star Caroline O'Connor has found her co-star for the upcoming new production of Kander & Ebb's The Rink. Gemma Sutton, a talented West End actress most recently seen in Strictly Ballroom, will play Angel. The Rink follows Anna (O'Connor), an Italian housewife who runs a roller-skating rink on the Eastern seaboard and is about to sell it to developers until her estranged daughter, Angel (Sutton), returns after a long absence, hoping to save the rink and patch things up with her mother. The original production starred Liza Minnelli as Angel opposite Rivera in a Tony-winning turn as Anna. The previously announced new production will appear at the Southwark Playhouse for a run from May 25 through June 23. Adam Lenson will direct with choreography by Fabian Aloise.

Full Cast Set for Killer Joe Starring Orlando Bloom
Casting is complete for the upcoming new mounting of Tracy Letts' dark thriller Killer Joe, slated to play Trafalgar Studio 1. The previously announced production, directed by Simon Evans and starring Orlando Bloom in the central role of Joe Cooper, will begin previews on May 18 with an opening scheduled for June 4. Joining Bloom will be Sophie Cookson, Adam Gillen, Neve McIntosh and Steffan Rhodri. In Killer Joe, the Smith family hatches a plan to murder their estranged matriarch for her insurance money. They hire Joe Cooper (Bloom), a police detective and part-time contract killer, to do the job. But once he enters their trailer home and comes face to face with their innocent daughter, the plan spirals out of control. The production will run for a limited 13-week engagement through August 18.

New Musical Broken Wings Set to Play West End Concert Premiere
Broken Wings, a new musical based on Kahlil Gibran's autobiographical novel, will receive its West End premiere this summer. The tuner, written by West End star Nadim Naaman (The Phantom of the Opera) and Dana Al Fardan, one of The Middle East's leading contemporary composers, will debut as a semi-staged production at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from August 1-4. Bronagh Lagan will direct. Broken Wings follows the aging Gibran, looking back on his 18-year-old self returning to The Middle East after five years in America completing his education. Casting for Broken Wings will be announced at a later date.

Jonathan Cake & More to Lead The Grönholm Method at Menier Chocolate Factory
Full casting has been announced for the U.K. premiere of Jordi Galceran’s The Grönholm Method, helmed by BT McNicholl in his U.K. directorial debut. The acclaimed play—which received a 2003 premiere production in Barcelona—is set in the offices of a New York City Fortune 500 company and follows four unsuspecting candidates who embark on the most testing job interview of their lives. Broadway alum Jonathan Cake (Cymbeline) will lead the cast in the role of Frank, alongside Greg McHugh as Carl, Laura Pitt-Pulford as Melanie and John Gordon Sinclair as Rick. Previews will begin on May 10 with an opening scheduled for May 22 at the Menier Chocolate Factory. The play will appear for a limited engagement through July 7.

West End Transfer of Nina Raine's Consent Completes Cast
The upcoming West End production of Nina Raine's acclaimed play Consent has announced full casting. Consent will begin previews at the Harold Pinter Theatre on May 18 with an opening scheduled for May 29. Newly announced cast members include Clare Foster, Lee Ingleby and Thusitha Jayasundera. They join previously announced co-stars Tony nominee Stephen Campbell Moore, Claudie Blakley, Heather Craney and Adam James. In Consent, a group of friends take opposing briefs in a contentious legal case. The key witness is a woman whose life seems a world away from theirs. At home, their own lives begin to unravel as every version of the truth is challenged. The production is slated to play a 12-week limited engagement through August 11.