UK Roundup

With four major musicals opening in London at the moment, it's a busy time for theatregoers. Anything Goes, the final musical of Trevor Nunn's National Theatre reign, has successfully transferred to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, one of London's largest theatres, and received rave reviews. The transfer came on the same week as the sad news that one of its former stars, Denis Quilley, had died of cancer. He'd been expected to join the production later in its run but his health had prevented him. Leading the cast is John Barrowman and Sally Ann Triplet.

Also currently previewing is Broadway transfer of Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Donning the bob as the girl from Kansas is TV actress Amanda Holden, best known to English audiences for playing a hairdresser in top drama Cutting It. Holden's also well known for her infidelity - she cheated on her game-show host husband with a top sitcom actor and had it splashed across the newspapers. Now, with all that behind her, she's wowing audiences alongside Maureen Lipman (best known for the recent Oklahoma video with Hugh Jackman) and Sheila Ferguson (former singer with the Three Degrees). It opens officially on Oct 21st.

Move over Urban Cowboy! After its announced closure of 4 performances, London's flop Money to Burn admitted defeat after just three performances. Opening Thursday 9th October, it managed to make it through Friday and then called it a day after the Saturday matinee. Just last month comedian Michael Barrymore cancelled his show after four performances. Bad reviews are becoming a trend and reflect the box offices easily at the moment. Described as a 'musical comedy thriller', Money to Burn filled the former 300-seater home of the Boy George musical Taboo - the Venue, Leicester Square.

Taboo is currently touring the UK and is said to be considering a return to London if the Broadway production is successful.

In the regions, the 1st National Tour of The Graduate is not going well at all.. ticket sales for the opening night at one venue reached a measly 200 tickets out of 1,600 seats. The reason? Mrs Robinson Glynis Barber refuses to take her clothes off. With a 'no-nudity' clause in her contract, the former Dempsey and Makepeace actress does the famous scene in her underwear. Modest? Yes. Big audiences? No.