Ashley Samuels News

All new photos have been released from The Big Life at Stratford East. Check out the photos here!

Returning to Stratford East after two decades, the vibrant ska musical The Big Life mixes the plot of Love's Labour's Lost with the arrival of the Windrush generation to London. With a big heart and a sense of fun, it takes an original approach to highlighting the plight of the new migrants who see their dreams collapse.

Recently, we chatted with Rachel John and Ashley Samuels, who play Zulieka and Ferdy in The Big Life. We discussed the different paths they took to get into the theatre industry, the roles they play within the show and what it is like being a part of the revival twenty years after.

Stratford East has announced the cast and creative team for its revival of hit Windrush Ska musical The Big Life, with book by Paul Sirett and Tameka Empson, lyrics by Paul Sirett, and music by Paul Joseph.

Music legend Chaka Khan is set to attend a staged reading of ‘I'm Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical' on Friday 1 December in London.

An industry  workshop presentation of I'm Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical will take place with two 80-minute performances at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London, on Friday 10th November - show times 11.00am and 2:30pm.

Get a first look at photos of Once On This Island at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

Check out rehearsal photos for Once on This Island at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for their forthcoming production of the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical Once On This Island.

Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its premiere on ITV in 2002 and ahead of a planned stage musical production, Big Broad Productions are next month releasing an 18-track studio cast recording of Footballers’ Wives The Musical. Listen to Ivano Turco singing a taster of ‘Let’s Dance’ here!

Kinky Boots is the feel-good musical by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, based on the popular 2005 film of the same name. Leading the cast is Cedric Neal (Back To The Future, Motown The Musical) as Lola/Simon, Joel Harper-Jackson (C O C K, Chess The Musical In Concert) as Charlie Price and Courtney Bowman (Legally Blonde, SIX) as Lauren. Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert will be stepping out and painting the town red for an extra night and we have photos of the cast in action!

Boy, has the West End missed the wit and sparkle of Kinky Boots! As part of the concert series at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, last night saw the first in two special concert-versions of the show, that served to remind audiences just what they had been missing.

Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert will be stepping out and painting the town red for an extra night on Tuesday 9 August at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane this summer. 

A second selection of all new production images have been released for the UK premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Daniel Fish’s striking revival of the classic musical which originally premiered at the Richard B. Fisher Center in 2015 ahead of its New York premiere at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2018. 

Initial production images are today released for the UK premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!  Daniel Fish’s striking revival of the classic musical which originally premiered at the Richard B. Fisher Center in 2015 ahead of its New York premiere at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2018.

All new rehearsal images have been released today for the UK premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Daniel Fish’s striking revival of the classic musical.

London is never short of temptations, whether epic West End shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a juicy revival to a new political play and a classic musical reborn, here are some of this month’s most eye-catching openings. Don’t forget to check back for BroadwayWorld’s reviews, interviews and features!

The Young Vic set the complete cast for the UK premiere of Oklahoma!  Daniel Fish’s striking revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical which originally premiered at the Richard B. Fisher Center in 2015 ahead of its New York premiere at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2018. Find out who's in the cast and how to get tickets.

The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs), the UK's first award show to celebrate the excellence and influence of Black performers and creatives in the theatre industry, have announced the 2021 nominees.

This comes after the show was forced to close on July 4 after a cast member tested positive for COVID-19. The closure period extended on July 12 due to “a small number of isolated positive cases of Covid-19 within the company.'