Do you want to see the first live performances – with a live band – in a theatre since the West End and Off-West End closed in mid-March? Then tune in from tonight (12 June 2020) to see what’s been happening at the Union Theatre this month in lockdown.

Jason Robert Brown's ever-popular song cycle The Last Five Years gets a new 'virtual lockdown production' this month, starring Lauren Samuels and Danny Becker. Pre-sale begins today (4 June 2020), with tickets on general sale from midday tomorrow...

As part of the city-wide sourced Bristol Arts Channel on YouTube, Bristol Old Vic will screen its acclaimed macabre musical THE GRINNING MAN, free to view for one week from 7pm on Friday 26 June 2020. Watch the trailer for this 'bootleg capture' here...

Craig Revel Horwood's new production of Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM only announced its big-name star, Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin Clifton, in mid-March, just as theatres were locking down. It's now postponed its tour, which was due to launch in late September, by a full year...

Will a brand-new digital song cycle bring you hope in dark times? The casting alone is raising ou hopes. Over 100 performers, recording in lockdown isolation, will bring to life this new musical trilogy composed by over 60 composers and broadcast by The Other Palace.

What are your plans for Thursday 23 April 2020? For #StageFaves fans in quarantine, the stellar online fundraiser All the Web's a Stage (held on Shakespeare's birthday) will be an absolute must-watch. We're delighted to support Theatre Together's efforts.

An original cast recording of The Prince Of Egypt, the new musical based on the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation film, will be released on Ghostlight Records in digital and streaming formats on 3 April 2020. A physical CD will be available later this year.

With a heartfelt message to “Stay at home and support the NHS so they can bring your loved ones home”, musical theatre supergroup The Barricade Boys have joined forces with special guests Alfie Boe, Ramin Karimloo, John Owen-Jones, David Shannon, Alistair Brammer, Fra Fee and Rob Houchen to put together a stunning rendition of ‘Bring Him Home’ from Les Misérables, introduced by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby

Composers are being asked to write ‘A Song for our Time’, an original song to be recorded by West End stars and a huge virtual choir with all proceeds going to Acting For Others. The final song will be chosen by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown.

It’s hard to imagine the West End getting back to normal at the moment, but preparations are still being made for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brand new version of Cinderella, opening at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre in October 2020, including the exciting casting of Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother opposite Carrie Hope Fletcher in the title role.

It perhaps doesn’t come as any surprise, but it’s still sad to hear to that West End LIVE 2020, planned for 20 and 21 June 2020, has been cancelled due to the recent guidance from the Government over COVID-19.

Check out the line-up for Lambert Jackson Productions and Theatre Café’s first week of their Leave A Light On series, beginning today (23 March 2020). The series of intimate, piano vocal concerts streamed live from The Theatre Café will feature performances from Blake Patrick Anderson, Aimie Atkinson, Christopher Cameron, Alice Fearn, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Evelyn Hoskins, David Hunter, Cassidy Janson, Lucie Jones, Bradley Judge and Harry Cooper Miller, Emma Kingston, Sarah O’Connor, Steph Parry, Danielle Steers and Layton Williams.

We are taking a moment to step away from all the current stories of theatre closures to seek some distraction in celebrating legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday. So we’ve picked FIVE of our favourite performances from previous concerts, from the divine Barbara Cook’s rendition of ‘Losing My Mind’ to Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters giving an iconic rendition of ‘Move On’ from Sunday In The Park With George. Oh, and Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch and Simon Russell Beale might make an appearance too. Hope you enjoy and do let us know your favourites too.

In amidst all the theatre closures taking place due to the coronavirus crisis, Thriller Live performed its last Moonwalk at London’s Lyric Theatre on 15 March 2020, just three shows away from becoming the 11th-longest running West End musical of all time. It was the show’s 4657th West End performance.

Sad news, and the kind of story that we are likely to see more off in the months to come: Due to uncertainty over the current Covid-19 outbreak, the decision has been made to put the Hope Mill Theatre production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella on hold indefinitely.

Theatres across the country are shutting due to the coronavirus pandemic and the latest government guidelines but companies like Lambert Jackson Productions and the Theatre Café are offering some hope amidst all the despair. Together they have announced an initiative to keep actors in paid work during the theatre closures. Leave a Light On will be an extensive series of intimate, piano vocal concerts streamed live from The Theatre Café to audiences for a small affordable fee.

Following Boris Johnson’s statement regarding the coronavirus pandemic, advising the public that they should avoid non-essential contact including going to the theatre, it was announced on 16 March 2020 by SOLT and UK Theatre that all member venues would close with immediate effect. One after the other, from Les Misérables to Wicked, and right across the country, venues went dark, but if the Tweets below are anything to go by, the theatre community will come back fighting.

Did you know that a fairytale kingdom has popped up in Highgate? Classic Broadway musical Once Upon a Mattress has just opened at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, and critics have fallen in love with Beth Burrows' Princess Winnifred, not your typical fairytale princess. We've rounded up some of our fave reviews.

Our #FirstNightTakeover series continues with Perry O’Bree attending the opening of Pretty Woman The Musical at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. Perry lives the dream, enjoying every minute of this new addition to the West End, and chats to lead players Aimie Atkinson, Danny Mac, Rachael Wooding and Bob Harms. Oh, and did we mention, he was sitting next to Six The Musical’s Natalie May Paris?

Bring It On The Musical will play a London season at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 9 December 2020 to 10 January 2021, following a UK and Ireland tour which opens at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 2 June 2020.