Alan Ayckboun has been the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre since 1972. His successor has been named as Chris Monks who will start his new job on 1st April.

Like Ayckborn, Monks is both a writer and director whose work has been seen at The Orange Tree Theatre, the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, the Bolton Octagon and the New Vic.

Alan Ayckbourn announced his stepping down in June 2007 after he had been hospitalised in 2006 following a stroke. He will continue to be heavily involved with the venue, which has seen the premiere of most of his plays.

Monks was born in Sheffield and studied woodwinds and jazz composition at the Leeds College of Music. He joined the Royal Exchange Theatre Company upon graduating and composed scores for over fifty productions.

He wrote the songs for ‘Trafford Tanzi’ which was a big hit show in the eighties that eventually went to New York.

1990 saw Monks first production as a director, which was ‘Music Hall’ at the Bolton Octagon. In 2006, he returned there to direct Ayckbourn’s ‘Absurd Person Singular’.

Alan Ayckbourn is a hard act to follow, but hopefully Monks will continue to ensure that the Stephen Joseph Theatre continues to sell lots of theatre tickets.

Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical ‘A Little Night Music’ is to transfer to the Garrick Theatre from the 28th of March. It will only run, initially, for a limited season until the 25th July. The revival was produced by the Menier Chocolate Factory under Trevor Nunn’s direction. It finishes its run at the Chocolate Factory on the 8th March and has already sold all the theatre tickets available.

It will join another Menier musical running in the West End. ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ continues its run at the Playhouse Theatre where Graham Norton continues to attract the crowds. In fact, ‘A Little Night Music’ will be the seventh Menier show to transfer to the West End in the last five years. The most successful of the previous transfers was another Sondheim show, ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ which went on to have a Broadway transfer.

The current show is inspired by the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film. It is largely written in waltz time and concerns the complicated love lives of various Swedish couples at the start of the twentieth century. Perhaps the best known song in the show is ‘Send in the Clowns’ which won a Grammy Award.

The cast includes Maureen Lipman, Hannah Waddingham and Alexander Hanson, and A Little Night Music tickets are available with Concierge Desk London.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC TICKETS – LIVE AVAILABILITY

‘A Little Night Music’ Garrick Theatre, opens 28th March 2009 – 25th June 2009

In the West End for the fourth time, book A Little Night Music tickets with Concierge Desk London. Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn for the incredibly successful Menier Chocolate Factory, A Little Night Music transfers to the Garrick Theatre from 28th March. With ‘Best Seats’ as well as cheap A Little Night Music tickets on offer, buy your tickets for A Little Night Music today. Also now available – theatre and dinner packages which include your A Little Night Music tickets and meal at a top London restaurant!

TICKETS:  £35.00 – £70.00
SPECIAL OFFERS: Save up to £29.50
SHOW & MEAL DEALS:
From £32.50 (Ticket worth £45.00 alone!!!) with dinner at Spaghetti House, The Hampshire and Salvador & Amanda Restaurants

Show Type

A Little Night Music is a Musical

Show Overview

The Menier Chocolate Factory’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s and Hugh Wheeler’s ‘A Little Night Music’ is coming to the Garrick Theatre for a limited period only. Based on Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Smiles of a Summer Night’, ‘A Little Night Music’ is set in the 19th Century Sweden and is a romantic, warm and funny tale of elegant actress Desiree Armfeldt and the intrigue of passion and complex affairs that surround her.

This lively and lovely production directed by the superb Trevor Nunn, features ‘Send in the Clowns’ amongst some other fantastic Sondheim music.

The excellent cast is led by Jessie Buckley, the fabulous Irish singer who lost out to Jodie Pringer in last year’s search for a ‘Nancy’ in BBC’s ‘I’d Do Anything’. Kaisa Hammarlund, Alexander Hanson (last seen in ‘The Sound of Music’) Maureen Lipman, Kelly Price, Alistair Robins, Gabriel Vick and Hannah Waddingham.

This is a musical that arrives in the West End without the whirl of publicity that surrounds many high budget shows but it is worth seeing all the same. The Menier Chocolate Factory are consistent in turning out ‘must see’ shows and ‘A Little Night Music’ is no exception. It is an exquisite production with some really show stopping performances and Concierge Desk highly recommend securing your ticket.

Show Age Suitability

A Little Night Music is suitable for Adults and Older Children

Theatre Information

‘A Little Night Music’ will be playing at the Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London,WC2H 0HH

Nearest Underground Station: Leicester Square (served by Northern and Piccadilly lines)
The Theatre is approximately a 2 minute walk from the station

Bus links 3, 6, 9, 12, 13, 15, 24, 29  and 30

Performance Information

Evenings: Mon-Sat: 7.30pm
Matinees: Wed & Sat: 2.30pm

Creative Team

Director: Sir Trevor Nunn
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book written by: Hugh Wheeler

Cast Includes

Jessie Buckley
Alexander Hanson
Kaisa Hammarlund
Hannah Waddingham
Maureen Lipman
Kelly Price
Alistair Robins
Gabriel Vick

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC TICKETS – LIVE AVAILABILITY

The latest milestone for the hit musical ‘Wicked’ was the London show’s thousandth performance which was the matinee on Valentine’s Day, Saturday the14th February.

The musical opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in September 2006 and is now enjoying its third year. It has already been seen by close to two million people and has taken more than £67 million in theatre ticket sales.

The musical is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire who re-imagined the characters created by L Frank Baum in his novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. The musical tells the story of the witches of Oz and how one came to be known as good and one as wicked.

It stars Oliver Tompsett as Fiyero, Harriet Thorpe as Madame Morrible, Kerry Ellis as Elphaba, Diane Pilkington as Glinda and Desmond Barrit as the Wizard.

The libretto for the show was written by Stephen Schwartz and the script is by Winnie Holzman. It is directed by Joe Mantello.

‘Wicked’ is a worldwide phenomenon with productions also running in Japan, Australia, Germany and North America.

The show recently celebrated the highest grossing week of its run when it took £890,000 in the seven days to the 29th of December 2008.

You can book you Wicked tickets with live availability with Concierge Desk London