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Matinee Musicals The Greatest Shows
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Wicked Celebrates 15th Birthday in London’s West End admin
10-02-26 Palace Theatre, Manchester by Tiffany Chevis The story of entrepreneur and imagineer PT Barnum is seen as an inspirational tale of what happens when you follow your dreams, push beyond naysayers, and shoot for the stars. This narrative may have become extremely well known in the last nine years thanks to a certain movie sensation, but Barnum the Circus Musical is arguably the original, with its own approach and numbers. Book by Mark Bramble with music and lyrics by […]
09-02-26 Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winner (and Matinee favourite) Ben Platt will make his Menier Chocolate Factory stage debut this summer, starring in the UK premiere of Midnight at The Never Get. The production marks Platt’s first full London theatre run and opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory for a strictly limited season. Written and composed by Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at The Never Get arrives in London in a […]
09-02-26 Jeff Goldblum is to tour the UK with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, the jazz ensemble he founded more than 30 years ago. The Night Blooms UK Tour will take place in May and June 2026, with performances in Wolverhampton, Glasgow and Manchester, before concluding at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The tour comes ahead of the release of Goldblum’s new album Still Blooming: Night Blooms, due on 5 June 2026, and follows the success of its companion release Still Blooming, […]
30-01-26 One of the most talked-about musical theatre productions of recent years is officially returning and this time, it’s coming back bigger than ever! Burlesque The Musical will open in the West End at the brand-new Arts at Marble Arch, while a second production embarks on a major UK tour, bringing the show to audiences across the country from summer 2026 through early 2027. For Matinee, this news lands with particular excitement. When Burlesque played Manchester in 2024, we awarded […]
30-01-26 New music has been released from the upcoming musical Sea Witch, with Michelle Visage featuring on the track Beware of the Storms, unveiled ahead of the show’s world premiere performances at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The release marks the first music to be shared from Sea Witch, a major new musical created and conceived by Kristopher Russell and Michael David Glover, with music and lyrics by Segun Fawole. The track introduces the sound world of the production, blending cinematic […]
28-01-26 The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a striking new collaboration for its 2026 season, with Placebo composing original music for a new production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. The production will star Mark Gatiss, a double Olivier Award-winner, in the title role and will premiere at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from Saturday 11 April to Saturday 30 May 2026, with a press night on Tuesday 21 April. Directed by Seán Linnen in a new […]
27-01-26 Alhambra Theatre Tuesday 27 January by Fiona Holleyhead From the first beat, it was clear the audience for Friends! The Musical Parody was packed with fans ready to laugh, recognise, and relive moments from one of television’s most enduring sitcoms. When you're in good company with like minded fans of a series you grew up with, you know you're in for an uplifting experience. Rather than leaning on surface-level impressions, the show takes a smarter approach, weaving together iconic […]
27-01-26 Sparks return to the UK this summer with a run of headline shows in June 2026, bringing their career-spanning live set back to British stages following a rapturously received world tour. For Matinee listeners, Sparks remain a true constant. From the angular pop brilliance of their 1970s breakthrough to their bold, cinematic later work, including the much-loved Annette soundtrack, Ron and Russell Mael’s music continues to feel singular, adventurous and utterly unmistakable. It is little wonder they remain one […]
27-01-26 British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) will bring its youth music theatre auditions to Manchester next month, offering young performers aged 11 to 21 the chance to take part in its 2026 season of original new musicals. The in-person auditions will take place on Sunday 8 February at Hope Mill Theatre, with two sessions available to book: 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Places must be booked in advance via the BYMT website. Unlike traditional auditions, BYMT’s process is […]
