What a trouper Matt Lucas is. Having heard that Gerard Carey, originally playing Thénardier in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, had been taken ill, he rescheduled his Christmas plans and stepped into the breach. Lucas will be Master of the House for six weeks from 23 December 2019 with Carey expected to return on 3 February 2020.

Can Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables get any more popular? Perhaps it can with the just-announced new cast starring in the musical at the newly reburbished Sondheim Theatre, reopening on 18 December 2019. Just imagine Bradley Jaden as Javert confronting Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean. Are you booking already?

Ready to step in time? Amy Griffiths, Claire Moore, Claire Machin, Jack North and Barry James are doing just that as they join Zizi Strallen, Charlie Stemp, Joseph Millson and Petula Clark in the new production of Mary Poppins which returns to its original West End home, the Prince Edward Theatre, from 23 October 2019.

They dreamed a dream of performing in the West End and it has come true for Brit School graduate Shan Ako & the Royal Academy of Music’s Lily Kerhoas as they take on the roles of Eponine and Cosette alongside a star-studded cast in Les Misérables – The Staged Concert, running at London’s Gielgud Theatre from 10 August to 30 November 2019.

‘On some marquee all twinkling lights – a spark to pierce the dark’: Cameron Mackintosh has revealed that the Queen’s Theatre in Shaftesbury Theatre will be renamed in honour of Stephen Sondheim when the refurbished venue opens with Les Misérables in December 2019. In the same year as the composer and lyricist celebrates his 90th birthday Sondheim becomes the only living artist to have a theatre named in his honour both in the West End and on Broadway.

It’s shaping into quite a cast and we still have several months to wait before the opening! Joining Zizi Strallen’s Mary and Charlie Stemp’s Bert will be Joseph Millson, as Mr George Banks, and the music and stage legend that is Petula Clark, as the Bird Woman (and rumour is Petula’s role may be extended in this staging). Mary Poppins returns home to the West End’s Prince Edward Theatre from 23 October 2019 to 29 March 2020 so get ready.

We knew the West End production of Les Misérables was moving to the Gielgud Theatre while the Queen’s was being refurbished but we couldn’t have predicted that the venue would be hosting the concert version of the ever-popualr musical and that the cast would feature Michael Ball (Javert), Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine) and Matt Lucas (Thénardier). Could it be one of the biggest musical theatre events of 2019? It just might be…

Actress Rosalie Craig and director Marianne Elliott celebrated their wins at the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards, while Best Musical went to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical and leading man Jamael Westman received the Emerging Talent Award

Fifteen years after its critically-acclaimed stage premiere, Mary Poppins is flying back to its original West End home, the Prince Edward Theatre, when Disney’s Aladdin ends its run in August 2019. We can't wait to see Zizi Strallen & Charlie Stemp step in time!

Joining Tim Howar, who plays the title role in the London production of The Phantom of the Opera for an initial run from 3 September to 8 December 2018, are Kimberly Blake as Carlotta Giudicelli and Ross Dawes as Monsieur Firmin.

First it was the Victoria Palace Theatre in readiness for the opening of Hamilton, now Delfont Mackintosh Theatres is turning its attention to its other venues in need of a little TLC, and that includes the West End home of Les Miserables. Where do you think the musical will move to?

First it was the Victoria Palace Theatre in readiness for the opening of Hamilton, now Delfont Mackintosh Theatres is turning its attention to its other venues in need of a little TLC, and that includes the West End home of Les Miserables. Where do you think the musical will move to?

Killian Donnelly will make history as the first Irishman to play the role since Colm Wilkinson in the original production. Watch him chat below about bringing the show home to Dublin…

You'll have to wait just a tad longer to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's blockbuster HAMILTON in London. Performances will now start two weeks later than previously announced due to major, ongoing building work in and around the Victoria Palace Theatre. The press night - now on 21 December 2017 - will be the ultimate Christmas present, though!

We all wish for that magical night we get called onto stage to spontaneously perform the lead role. Musical Theatre Appreciation Society's Dawn Bush wonders if being an understudy is just the same thing...