The theatre world lost one of its giants this week, celebrated another with a cinema release, and welcomed a small bear from Peru to the West End. Here's everything that happened.

Tom Stoppard (1937-2025)

The news that dominated the week: Sir Tom Stoppard, one of the greatest playwrights of the past century, died on November 29 at his home in Dorset. He was 88.

West End theatres dimmed their lights for two minutes at 7pm on Tuesday December 2. In a rare honour, Broadway joined them - solo light-dimming tributes are now exceptionally uncommon on the Great White Way, reserved for truly towering figures. The last comparable tribute was for Stephen Sondheim.

Stoppard's influence on theatre is almost impossible to overstate. From Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966) through Arcadia, The Real Thing, Travesties, and The Coast of Utopia, he brought intellectual rigour and dazzling wit to subjects ranging from quantum physics to Soviet history to the nature of consciousness itself.

Cameron Mackintosh's tribute captured the mood: "For the last 60 years, Tom has been one of the Giants of British theatre. A writer of serious brilliance and extraordinary wit, he illuminated the British and world stage with his unique style and intellectual playfulness."

The timing is poignant. Felicity Kendal opens in Stoppard's Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre this week - the production was already scheduled, but now carries additional weight. The Old Vic will revive Arcadia from January 24, 2026, directed by Carrie Cracknell.

His work will continue to be performed for as long as theatre exists. But there will be no new Stoppard plays. That loss is immeasurable.

Merrily We Roll Along: The Film

Released in cinemas today (December 5), the filmed version of the 2023-24 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along arrives with considerable anticipation.

The production, directed by Maria Friedman and starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez, transformed what had been considered a beautiful failure into a genuine phenomenon. It won four Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, shattered house records at the Hudson Theatre, and generated the kind of word-of-mouth that made tickets nearly impossible to obtain.

The film, released by Sony Pictures Classics in collaboration with Fathom Entertainment, offers those who couldn't get tickets (or afford them) the chance to see what the fuss was about. Reviews are warm, noting that while the grand effect of live theatre can't be fully replicated, the intimate camera work reveals nuances in the performances that even front-row audiences might have missed.

Maria Friedman said: "This isn't just a stage production captured on film - it's something more intimate. The camera lets us see every flicker of feeling, every quiet shift, in a way that brings audiences closer than ever."

The film runs in select theatres through December 18. And for those now converted to the Sondheim masterpiece: Richard Linklater's feature film adaptation, starring Paul Mescal, Beanie Feldstein, and Ben Platt and being filmed over 20 years in reverse chronological order, continues production. That one's still years away from completion.

Paddington The Musical Opens

The most anticipated West End opening in recent memory delivered. Paddington The Musical opened at the Savoy Theatre on November 30 to reviews ranging from warm to rapturous.

The central question - how do you put a CGI-perfected bear on stage? - was answered ingeniously. Arti Shah wears the bear suit and performs Paddington's physical actions, while James Hameed voices the character from offstage and remote-controls the facial expressions. The result, by all accounts, is genuinely magical.

Variety called it "a furry, funny treat" and praised director Luke Sheppard's "real sense of assured, happy-go-lucky drive." The Guardian noted that "the entire auditorium erupted in what felt like a thousand collective gasps of delight" when Paddington first appeared.

The show's highlight appears to be "Marmalade," an Act Two opening number that turns a comedy waltz about the bear's favourite food into what one critic called "a riotously infectious production number."

Tom Fletcher (of McFly) wrote the music and lyrics, with a book by Jessica Swale. The cast includes Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as villain Millicent Clyde, Bonnie Langford as Mrs Bird, and Amy Ellen Richardson as Mrs Brown.

A cast album is scheduled for March 2026. The show is booking through October 25, 2026.

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More News This Week

I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical expands The Alexandra Burke-led jukebox biomusical, premiering at London's Peacock Theatre March 5-28, 2026, has added dates at Belgrade Theatre Coventry (April 1-4) and Congress Theatre Eastbourne (April 7-11). The show covers Chaka Khan's life from her days with Rufus through her solo career, featuring hits including "Ain't Nobody," "I Feel for You," and the title track.

American Psycho returns to the Almeida The Duncan Sheik-Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa musical, which had its world premiere at the Almeida in 2013, will return to the London venue. Casting and dates to be announced.

Broadway grosses hit $48.4 million The week ending November 30 saw Broadway's total grosses reach $48,363,979 - healthy numbers heading into the holiday season.

Oh, Mary! continues conquering Cole Escola's dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln continues its run on Broadway with Jane Krakowski through January 4. Meanwhile, the West End production with Mason Alexander Park opened to strong reviews.

High Noon opens at Harold Pinter Theatre Billy Crudup and Denise Gough star in Eric Roth's stage adaptation of the classic western, playing out in real time as the noon train approaches. The production opened this week to considerable interest.

Paranormal Activity: Live on Stage The horror franchise becomes a theatre experience this month, written by Levi Holloway and directed by Punchdrunk's Felix Barrett. Promising immersive scares and the film series' signature creeping dread.

What's Opening Next

December openings to watch:

• Indian Ink (Hampstead Theatre) - Felicity Kendal in Stoppard's time-slipping drama

• Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Young Vic) - David Threlfall and Arinzé Kene in Rajiv Joseph's Iraq-set play

• The Red Shoes (Sadler's Wells) - Matthew Bourne's dance version returns

• Woman in Mind (West End) - Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan in Ayckbourn

• The Playboy of the Western World (National Theatre) - Nicola Coughlan in Synge's Irish classic

• Top Hat (West End) - Irving Berlin's tap-happy romantic comedy

Looking Ahead

January brings the Arcadia revival at The Old Vic, plus Bug on Broadway (Tracy Letts' cult classic finally reaching the Great White Way with Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood).

Quick Links

• Paddington The Musical

• The Phantom of the Opera

• Hamilton

• Les Misérables

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