Linda looks back on 2009 for London Theatre Breaks as the top of the year approaches:

Winter 2009 is here and I’m just wondering what sort of a year this has been for theatre breaks. There’s been a recent survey that assures us reality TV has actually boosted ticket sales. The box offices are claiming the credit crunch has had little effect on bookings, with most theatres usually full. But what has been the reality?

The West End Shows

In terms of shows one or two have closed early but the old favourites like We Will Rock You carry on. Avenue Q was saved from oblivion by popular demand and has moved to a new theatre. The Lion King is as popular as ever and proudly boasts that it is so well booked that it has NEVER released tickets to the reduced ticket agencies.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Some good shows reached the end of their natural life and wonderful though Spamalot was it really was time for it to say goodbye. It’s been replaced by Priscilla and that has been a fair swap. Carousel never really quite hit the spot and its closure wasn’t any great surprise. It was sad to see the end of Cabaret and a shame they couldn’t take a leaf out of Chicago’s book and find a constant stream of new familiar faces to keep us going back.  Joseph went too and no doubt was mourned by thousands of Lee Mead’s fans but it was another how that seemed ready to go. No doubt it will be back someday.

One show I thought should have done better was Spring Awakening, which I just loved. All that energy and a theatre full of young people the night we went. I felt positively ancient, and that’s a good thing! (honest!)

Oliver has of course been a total triumph with Jodie Prenger making a real name for herself. Who would have thought she’d still be there doing 8 shows a week nearly a year later? What a star. I saw her at West End live this year and she has a super voice and a lovely stage presence. She managed to upstage Christopher Biggins, to great comic effect and that takes some talent for comedy! I think we’ll see more of Jodie once she moves on but for now she seems happy where she is. She’s on her 3rd Fagin and this is the one I’d really like to see. I think Griff Reese Jones will make a great Fagin and be well worth the trip.

Hairspray has seen some major changes with the departure of Micheal Ball. Still Phil Jupitous is doing a grand job and Brain Connely was very well recieved in the part. I wonder how long Micheal will stay away, I’m sure I heard somewhere that he’s thinking of coming back to Edna. We hope!

Wicked is going from strength to strength and is the most popular musical at this witchy time of year. Kerry Ellis is just a distant memory now and Alexia Kadhim has made her own interpreation of Elphaba. I think she has a lovely voice, quite different to Kerry’s but wonderful all the same:

New shows coming into the West End and available for theatre breaks include Legally Blonde which I was less than keen on when first announced. Since then I’ve had a good look at the videos on youtube and listened to the cast recordings and I might just change my mind. It might be fun and has the sort of casting that makes me want to see it.

What to say about Love Never dies (apart from “I can’t wait!!”)? Well it’s definitely going to be a huge event and it should be a spectacular in the best Andrew Lloyd Webber tradition. The Coney Island setting should give it a great atmosphere, you know how creepy fairgrounds can be. We’ve all seen Scoobydoo   It’s got two faboulous stars in Sarah Boggess and Ramin Karimloo (I’ve been doing this so long I can now spell these names without flinching!)

In the next part of this annual theatre breaks review I’ll be looking at the travel implications and prospects for London theatre breaks into 2010.

One happy piece of London theatre news today is that Lenny Henry’s Othello is transferring to the London West End in September at the Trafalgar Studios. Lenny Henry is to bring his performance as Othello to London when the Northern Broadsides production transfers to Trafalgar Studio 1 from 1st September to 12th December 2009 with a press night on the 18th of September.

Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy plays.

This production started  at the West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds in February, and Lenny Henry received favourable reviews for his debut in the title role.

Othello Reviews

Michael Billington in The Guardian, not always the most positive of critics,  praised the “simple dignity” of Lenny Henry’s Othello.

Othello also stars Conrad Nelson as Iago, Jessica Harris as Desdemona, Richard Standing as Cassio, plus David Beckford, Matt Connor, Andy Cryer, Victoria Gee, Geoff Leesley, Chris Pearse, Simon Holland Roberts and Sara Poyzer.

Shakespeare Theatre Breaks

Shakespeare plays are perennial favourites in London but usually only for relatively short runs compared to the big musicals so this production of Othello with the well known name of Lenny Henry will provide a unique opportunity for Shakespeare theatre breaks to London during the run up to Christmas 2009.

War Horse

War Horse, the sensational play with giant equine puppets arrived at the New London Theatre after an acclaimed run at the National.

War Horse is based on the celebrated novel by Michael Morpurgo. The First World War is the backdrop for this exciting tale of bravery, and the extraordinary bond between a young recruit and his horse.

Sister Act News

Patina Miller and the rest of the cast of Sister Act continue to build up the expectation for the Palladium’s new show. Whoopi Goldberg herself managed to overcome fear of air travel in order to appear on the Jonathon Ross show and other publicity appointments in London.

Avenue Q – Theatre News is good!

Avenue Q announced that it won;t be closed forever afaterall, but is due to reopen at the Gielgud Theatre on 1 June after a month-long break from the Noel Coward Theatre.

Spring Awakening

The cast of Spring Awakening brought a refreshing new musical to the West End’s Novello Theatre after a successful run at the Hammersmith Lyric theatre. Previewing from March 21st this youthful, exhuberent but also dark musical play has had nothing but good reviews.

Moonshadow – Theatre News not good

One piece of bad news this month is that the Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens musical Moonshadow failed to find a West End theatre available for potential transfer and thus postponed opening at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton in July as originally planned.

Jersey Boys Wins Olivier Awards

The Jersey Boys musical goes from strength to strength coming top of the New Musical category amongst other awards at the 2009 Olivier Awards.

Consolation for Zorro!, a great flamenco musical which closed this month was an award for Best Supporting Role in a Musicalwhich wentdeservedly to Lesli Margherita who was sensational in Zorro!.

Emergency New Fagin for Oliver!

In a surprise announcement, Russ Abbot was asked to return to the role of Fagin in Oliver for a couple of weeks in April. Rowan Atkinson was forced to pull out for three weeks to undergo minor surgery for a hernia. Russ Abbot played the role of Fagin in the 1997 production and also in a couple of touring productions.

New Edna for Hairspray

Michael Ball has been a riot as the lead role in Hairspray for around two years so now a new Edna has been announced for July and it’s non other than Brian Conley whose West End theatre experience includes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2005.