Academy member Per Wastberg told Swedish television, "He is who he is," adding that there was little surprise Dylan had ignored the news. We were aware that he can be difficult and that he does not like appearances when he stands alone on the stage," he told Sweden's Dagens Nyheter newspaper in a separate interview. A reference to the prize was removed from Dylan's website last week. It is still not known if he will travel to Stockholm to receive the prize on 10 December. If he does not, a ceremony marking his career will go ahead as planned.
Musical Airs - A new radio station dedicated to musical theatre launches this week. Encore Radio will feature presenters including Duncan James from boy band Blue and former Classic FM presenter Jamie Crick. Crick will also be content director for the station, which is available online and on digital. Listeners can also access the station via an app.
The station will feature music from shows such as Matilda, Wicked and Hamilton, and its schedule will feature broadcasts from opening nights, backstage news and interviews, alongside reviews of shows. The station is being backed by radio group UKRD, which owns and operates 14 local commercial stations. Encore Radio will have studios in London and Guildford. Crick said, "Britain has the most successful theatre industry in the world. Now finally there is a radio station catering for the huge number of people who visit the theatre or love the music from shows and films."
Palace Plans - Tickets for the London run of Hamilton will go on sale in January. Previews for the production begin in November next year, following a refurbishment of the Victoria Palace Theatre. Producer Cameron Mackintosh said, "We have already started the casting process and are very excited by the tremendous diverse talents that we are already seeing for the production which opens at the Victoria Palace in just over a year's time, December 2017." He added, "The recently acquired Victoria Palace Theatre is currently in the process of a major renovation and expansion that will bring it into the 21st century so that it can offer the public the same mix of glamour and comfort enjoyed by my other West End theatres."
Primal Screams - Justin Bieber stormed off stage at his latest Manchester concert, after asking the fans to stop screaming in the gaps between songs. The Baby star dropped the mic and walked off stage during his Manchester Arena show on Sunday, after asking fans to stop screaming during his show. It's the third time the Canadian singer has mentioned his frustration with his fans' behaviour since the start of his Purpose world tour. "I don't think it's necessary when I'm trying to say something and you guys are screaming," he said to the crowd at the Manchester Arena, before dropping the microphone and exiting the stage.
Bill Toppers - Radiohead have confirmed they will headline next year's Glastonbury Festival. The Oxfordshire five-piece are the first headline act announced for the festival and will top the bill on 23 June. It came after the band's 'angry bear' logo appeared as a painted crop circle in front of Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage. Festival organisers later confirmed the rumours by posting the logo on their Twitter page.
Underground, Overground - The Velvet Underground's John Cale is to perform the band's legendary album The Velvet Underground and Nico live in Liverpool next year for the 50th anniversary of its release. Cale and guests will play the seminal rock group's debut album in full. The Liverpool date will take place at Clarence Dock on 26 May. Cale told BBC News, "We were all really proud of what we did so it was time to have a look at it with some new voices and new presentations."
The Velvet Underground and Nico, with its famous banana LP cover designed by Andy Warhol, was not a commercial success when it was released in March 1967. Brian Eno once said that the album only sold 30,000 copies during its first five years but that "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band".
(Jim Evans)
