London Production of The Producers to Shutter on January 6

Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan's The Producers, based on Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, is the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant. Together, they hatch the ultimate scam: Raise more money than needed for a sure-fire Broadway fiasco... and pocket the difference. The musical, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, broke the record for most Tony wins by garnering 12 awards.

The London mounting opened on November 9, 2004, with a cast led by Nathan Lane reprising his Broadway role as Max Bialystock, standing in at the last minute for the originally announced Richard Dreyfuss, who withdrew on the eve of the first scheduled preview, citing ill health and Lee Evans as Leo Bloom.

Lane's understudy, Cory English, subsequently stood in for Lane when he, too, withdrew from the production toward the end of his scheduled run owing to back problems. Lane was replaced in turn by Broadway successors Brad Oscar and Fred Applegate, before English returned, this time above the title, to the role he is now occupying. Evans has been replaced in turn by John Gordon Sinclair and current star Reece Shearsmith.

The Producers, which continues to run on Broadway, won three 2005 Laurence Olivier Awards—for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical Lane and Best Supporting Performance in a Musical Conleth Hill.

In addition to English and Shearsmith, the current cast includes Rachel McDowell, Don Gallagher and Stephen Matthews.