The theatre - famed for launching the careers of actors including Bill Nighy, Julie Walters and Pete Postlethwaite - first opened in 1964 in the shell of a 19th Century chapel on one of Liverpool's main streets. However, over the years it fell into a state of disrepair and architects Haworth Tompkins were tasked with designing a new theatre as part of a nine-year £27m rebuilding project, retaining its theme of being a "theatre for the people".
Opportunity Knocks - The Lyric Hammersmith is to hold open auditions for its staging of Bugsy Malone, which will reopen the theatre following a multimillion pound redevelopment. The theatre will open in April next year, after an expansion at the venue to include a new two-storey extension called the Reuben Foundation Wing.
Bugsy Malone will be directed by Lyric Hammersmith artistic director Sean Holmes who told The Stage, "We are pursuing many different avenues to ensure we have the most exciting collection of young talent for our production of Bugsy Malone. Our crack casting team has already introduced us to a wealth of options. But in the spirit of Alan Parker's search for stars for his original film, it would have been remiss of us not to throw the process open - to give everyone a chance over one weekend to show us why they should be in the show. It's also a gesture of openness and inclusivity that matches the spirit of what the Lyric is."
The production will have choreography by Drew McOnie and design by Jon Bausor, with musical direction by Phil Bateman. The lighting will be by James Farncombe, with sound design by Ben Harrison and casting by Will Burton. The children's casting director is Jessica Ronane.
Korean Tragedy - A man involved in planning a concert that ended in tragedy in South Korea has been found dead in an apparent suicide, police say. Sixteen people died and 11 were injured when a ventilation grate collapsed during the concert in Seongnam. The 37-year-old man, identified as Mr Oh, worked for one of the sponsors and handled safety measures, officials say. He is believed to have jumped from a 10-storey building near the venue after being questioned by police.
Who's Sorry Now? - U2 frontman Bono has said sorry after their latest album was automatically added to the libraries of all iTunes users around the world. Speaking in a session on Facebook, the star said the move was a "drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity". In response to a questioner who told him it was "rude" to impose their music upon everyone, Bono said: "Oops, I'm sorry about that." Apple later released a one-click tool enabling iTunes customers to remove it.
Motorcycle News - A customised motorcycle said to have "starred" in 1969 film Easy Rider has been auctioned for $1.35m (£838,821) despite claims it is not authentic. California auction house Profiles in History said bidding had been fierce but did not name the buyer. Reportedly used in the film's climactic crash scene, the Harley-Davidson was restored by actor Dan Haggerty. Yet the bike's authenticity has been questioned by another collector who claims he owns the actual chopper used.
Gordon Granger of Texas also claims he has a certificate, signed by Grizzly Adams star Haggerty, proving his bike is the genuine article. Haggerty, who had a small role in the counterculture classic, admitted to the Los Angeles Times he had authenticated and sold two 'Captain America' bikes - the
