According to the Society of London Theatre, more than half of all programmed West End productions are offering sales 15 months in advance in anticipation of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games in the summer of 2012.
Long-running shows that have announced an extended booking period include Disney's The Lion King, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, The Woman in Black, Legally Blonde the Musical, War Horse, Blood Brothers and Billy Elliot the Musical. New musicals for 2011 that have extended their booking into 2012 include The Wizard of Oz, Shrek the Musical and Ghost the Musical among others.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said, "Whether you are coming for the Games or any other time during the year, surely no visit to our magnificent city will be complete without enjoying the spectacular entertainment London theatre has to offer."
More Good News- London's theatre community has recovered from a financially disappointing first quarter, posting box office takings for April to June that are up 2% on the same period in 2010.
Theatre producers and owners had been bracing themselves for a difficult 2011 after results for the January to March period were down 6% in terms of box office and 10% in audience numbers. However, the sector has recovered in the second quarter, thanks principally to a strong performance from plays, for which attendance was up 13% on the same period in 2010 (revenue was up 20%). Musical attendances fell by 2%.
Society of London Theatres chief executive Julian Bird told The Stage, "The results are really encouraging. Anecdotally, talking to other businesses, tourism is quite strong in London at the moment, but also there has been a strong roster of shows. Plays have done extraordinarily well, helped by some very strong offerings. We are optimistic - there's a very healthy raft of shows being announced across the autumn and into the winter."
Songs Of Praise - Andrea Bocelli and Katherine Jenkins will lead the 50th anniversary celebrations for Sunday night TV show Songs of Praise, the BBC has announced. They will be among performers at a concert at London's Alexandra Palace for 7,000 people to be filmed on 25 September and shown in early October. The inaugural Songs of Praise, on the first Sunday in October 1961, came from the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cardiff.
Amy Tribute - Mark Ronson who co-produced Amy Winehouse's successful second album Back To Black paid tribute to the late singer by performing a number of her songs at a show in London. In his first gig since her death, the British producer and songwriter invited members of her backing band on stage for a version of Valerie. "She made brilliant music, more than I'll make in my entire life," he said.
Off The Road - Kings of Leon have cancelled their US tour amid reports of problems within the band. The cancellation comes three days after frontman Caleb Followill left the stage during a show in Dallas, Texas. He said he was no longer able to sing because of "heat exhaustion and dehydration". The cancellation of the US tour was announced in a statement by the Nashville-based band on Monday. It said the band members were "devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, they need to take this break". The band are to return to the road in Vancouver, Canada, on 28 September.
(Jim Evans)
