London Theatre News Today: Tuesday 7 January

Theatrical charity, Acting For Others today announced the return of the West End Flea Market on Saturday 16 May at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. 

Acting For Others provides financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need through the 14 member charities. Its hugely successful debut of Acting for Others last year raised over £26,000 in one morning with crowds of theatre-lovers lining up for showstopping goodies from top West End Shows. From theatrical memorabilia, signed posters and bric-a-brac to special items for auction, there was something for everyone.

Company members from The Book Of Mormon, Hamilton, The Phantom Of The Opera, Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables and The Mousetrap and The Royal Opera House took part. Only Fools And Horses won Best Dressed Stall featuring Trigger’s Kissing Booth and Mischief Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong winning the showstopper competition judged by Christopher Biggins, Celia Imrie and Wayne Sleep.

This year, the shows hosting a stall will compete in a brand new theatrical challenge, with judges to be announced. Come along, cheer on your favourite show and witness the winner being announced at the event. If that’s not enough to convince you, there will be signings, a theatrical tombola, auctions and lots more exciting memorabilia up for grabs along with the chance to meet your favourite stars from smash-hit West End shows.

Wayne Sleep, Celia Imrie and Christopher Biggins at the West End Flea Market 2019. Photo by Mark Lomas.

If you’re looking to catch a last-minute show, don’t miss these two must-see productions closing this month at the Bush Theatre.  

Written and directed by Olivier-Award winning Bijan Sheibani (Barber Shop Chronicles, The Brothers Size), The Arrival is a new play all about two siblings who are separated by adoption. While it begins with a joyful reunion between two brothers Tom (played by Scott Karim) and Samad (played by Irfan Shamji), the psychological effects of being separated slowly begin to cast a dark shadow over their new-found bond.

The critically acclaimed run will end on 18 January and explores obsession, betrayal and the human need to belong.

I Wanna Be Yours, a co-production with Paines Plough and Tamasha Theatre Company also closes on 18 January after a six-week run in the Bush studio and a UK Tour.

Ella is from Yorkshire. Haseeb is from London. They order a pizza. House red for Ella. Hot chocolate for Haseeb. People and playlists. Christmas and Eid. Travelcards and Megabuses. London to Leeds. Love is more than just a game for two. Especially when there’s an elephant in the room.

Directed by poet and playwright Zia Ahmed, this tender, hilarious, lyrical debut play tells the story of finding love and holding onto it.

Zia is part of the London Laureates, having been shortlisted for London’s Young Poet Laureate 2015/2016 and is the former Roundhouse Slam Champion and Writer in Residence at Paines Plough as part of Channel 4’s Playwright Scheme 2017. He is currently part of the Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group and under commission to write poems at Southbank Centre for Free Word.