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  It is always interesting to see how elements from landmark professional productions of Sondheim’s shows eventually filter into the amateur field. Directors working within the amateur circle often gain inspiration from going to see a West End or Broadway production and this inevitably sparks off new creative ideas which can be very fruitful. A typical example is Timothy Sheader’s ground-breaking production at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2010, which has inspired Luton’s St Andrew’s Players current production of the show, and resulted in an intriguing take-over of the St Andrews Church building. Terry Mills, the St Andrews chairman, told me: “it promises to be quite something with director Alistair Brown working very hard with what is a very talented cast gathered from all around this area trying to recreate the award winning 2010 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production. As you will see we are presenting the [...]

The Independent’s Matt Wolf recently interviewed Stephen Sondheim at his Manhattan home, just in time to co-incide with Maria Friedman’s acclaimed interpretation of Merrily We Roll Along transferring from the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Harold Pinter Theatre on 23rd April. Matt Wolf writes: The last year in London musicals would have been pretty dismal without two Sondheim revivals that soared above pretty much everything else in town. The first, since closed, was the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Sweeney Todd, starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, which has been nominated for six Olivier Awards. Not long after came the Menier Chocolate Factory reappraisal of Merrily We Roll Along, an erstwhile Broadway flop that continues to meet a tellingly contrasting fate in London: Michael Grandage’s Donmar staging of the piece in 2000 unexpectedly won the Olivier for Best Musical, while actress-turned-director Maria Friedman’s latest airing of the show is transferring [...]