News

Dinosaur Series 2, co-created, co-written by and starring Ashley Storrie and produced by Two Brothers Pictures for BBC/Hulu has been nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award 2026 in the Best Comedy Programme category. The awards will take place on 1st July in London.

Eight months after we last saw her, Nina (Ashley Storrie) is knee-deep in mud on an Isle of Wight dig site, living her palaeontology dream. Or at least, that’s what she tells herself. Truthfully, she’s exhausted, missing Glasgow, her family, Lee – oh, and her home comforts, namely Real Housewives marathons with Evie and Sausage rolls. When she finally returns to Scotland, she finds that everything has changed. Her workplace has moved, there’s some big McArthur family news, plus she’s thrown into an awkward feelings triangle between Lee and an unexpected new arrival. She has learnt to handle change. But this much change, all at once?

Rufus Hound and Susie Blake will star in a new thriller, The Other Side of Murder, when it embarks on a tour later this year, presented by Original Theatre in association with Theatr Clwyd.

The latest piece from Torben Betts centres on celebrated TV medium Darius Divine, whose plans for a cosy family dinner turn into a night of ghostly visitations and explosive revelations.

The tour will open at Theatr Clwyd, Mold on 4 September and run until 12 September, before visiting Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (15 to 19 September), New Theatre, Cardiff (22 to 26 September), Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne (5 to 10 October), The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin (13 to 17 October), Churchill Theatre, Bromley (2 to 7 November), Palace Theatre, Southend (9 to 14 November) and Mayflower Studios, Southampton (16 to 21 November).

In 2027, the tour will visit Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe (19 to 23 January), Derby Theatre (26 to 30 January), Royal and Derngate, Northampton (8 to 13 February), and Darlington Hippodrome (16 to 20 February). More venues are to be announced.

Nathan Lang stars as Denim Dave, Foxy Bingo’s new social media manager in their new Celebrity Sabotage campaign. Made by Agile Films for Entain UK, the ITV idents are directed by Giles Ripley and cast by Lee Mountjoy Casting.

Darren Brownlie will star in Andy McGregor’s Crocodile Rock this summer. The Scottish musical comedy about a wee island, and a lad with big dreams will come to Glasgow and Edinburgh in a return to Scottish stages.

Lolly Jones joins a stellar cast in award winning feature Dragonfly. Have we become a nation of strangers? In Dragonfly, neglected pensioner Elsie (Brenda Blethyn) finds an unexpected ally in her younger neighbour Colleen (Andrea Riseborough). Over time, Elsie gains a friend and the troubled Colleen finds a fresh purpose in life as she shops, cleans and cares for her. It brings brighter days for both of them. Elsie’s son John (Jason Watkins) resents the way that Colleen has selflessly fulfilled the responsibilities that he has shirked. Simmering tensions bring shocking consequences in a gripping human story straight from the heart of broken Britain. A powerful return to the cinema from London to Brighton director Paul Andrew Williams that showcases heartrending, award-winning performances from Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.

Winner: Tribeca Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature (for both Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn)
Winner: Galway Film Fleadh Best International Film
Winner: Dinard Best Film (Golden Hitchcock)

Pete Firman has partnered with Cadbury to bring a fresh burst of magic to Easter with the launch of their brand-new seasonal campaign, Better the Hide, Better the Hunt. The campaign celebrates the joy that comes from putting a little more thought, care and creativity into the classic Easter egg hunt. As the brand’s newly appointed Master of Hiding, Firman has created the Golden Rules of Hiding – tips for families to use this Easter, bringing his unique expertise to transform ordinary hunts into memorable adventures, ensuring families nationwide have the tools to hide better this Easter.

“Let’s face it,” says Pete Firman, “our Easter egg hunts have become a little predictable. I’m here to inject some magical misdirection and playfulness into this cherished family ritual. Prepare for some serious head-scratching, because with my Golden Rules of Hiding, I’m utilising the power of illusion and deception to outsmart even the savviest egg hunters. Those eggs won’t just be hidden – they’ll be practically invisible.”

 

Rufus Hound stars in the world premiere of Jack & Sarah at The Mill at Sonning this Spring. Based on the much-loved 1995 film starring Richard E. Grant and Dame Judi Dench, Jack & Sarah is a heartwarming, witty, and unexpected romantic comedy about finding love, family, and second chances in the most unlikely places.

When Jack, a workaholic lawyer, is suddenly left to raise his baby daughter alone, his carefully ordered world unravels. Enter Amy, a free-spirited au pair with a big heart and an even bigger personality. Against all odds, and with a little help (and hindrance) from an eccentric cast of family and friends, their two very different worlds collide in the most surprising and life-affirming way.

Packed with sharp humour, tender moments, and a generous dose of 90s charm, Jack & Sarah is a joyous new production about the messy, unpredictable enchantment of life and love.

 

Kate Donnachie joins the cast of The English National Ballet’s Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells as The Narrator.

Meet the nature-loving Cinderella, who lives on the edge of an enchanted forest where she once gardened and sang with her mother. After loss and silence settle over her home, she’s left with a sharp-tongued stepmother, two noisy stepsisters, and a house full of chores and shadows. But when a letter arrives, inviting all to a Garden Ball, Cinderella’s journey to find her true self begins – guided by the spirit of her mother and the magic of the forest.

With a narrator to help the young audience follow the story, and a shortened, recorded version of Prokofiev’s ravishing score, this is the perfect introduction to ballet, and a fantastic family day out.

This new production by English National Ballet is choreographed by George Williamson and performed by students of the English National Ballet School Graduate Artists Programme.

Jamie Wilson Productions (JWP) is bringing the musical stage adaptation of the cult hit classic #COYOTEUGLY to the West End in 2027.

With original music & lyrics by the Grammy Award–winning and 16-time Academy Award–nominated songwriter Diane Warren. With a stage adaptation by original film screenwriter Gina Wendkos alongside Olivier Award–winning Vikki Stone, and directed & choreographed by the multi–Tony Award–winning Jerry Mitchell.

Diane Warren said, “For over 20 years I’ve been saying someone needs to do a Coyote Ugly musical. I’m so excited it is finally happening and that I will be a part of it! Both the movie and the soundtrack are guilty pleasure classics and now a fun guilty pleasure musical just when we need it most!”

Jamie Wilson, on behalf of the Producers said “We are incredibly proud to collaborate with such an exceptional, award-winning creative team to bring a new musical stage adaptation of this cult-classic to the West End in 2027.
Diane’s remarkable multi award-winning career speaks to her extraordinary influence on popular music, with her songs including hits such as If I Could Turn Back Time; Because You Loved Me, How Do I Live and I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.
We are thrilled that the production will feature not only her iconic tracks from the original film, but also an unparalleled slate of brand-new songs written exclusively by Diane for the stage.
We’re inviting audiences to join us for a wild theatrical experience, immersed in the electric atmosphere of the iconic NY venue, where the music will capture all the heart and heat of the original story whilst igniting it anew for the next generation.”

Coyote Ugly is presented with special permission from Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd.

A new stage musical inspired by the story of pirate radio station Radio Caroline will tour in 2026. Written by Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul and Alex Thorpe, the production follows Caroline, a young woman whose life changes when her boyfriend takes a job with Radio Caroline, the offshore station that broadcast pop and rock music from a ship off the Essex coast during the 1960s. The musical features a cast of actor-musicians and includes songs from the period.

Caroline: A New Musical opens at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich on 17 April 2026 before visiting Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (6 to 16 May), New Theatre Peterborough (19 to 23 May), Mercury Theatre Colchester (3 to 13 June) and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (16 to 20 June).

The show is produced by the East Anglian Touring Consortium, a new partnership between Eastern Angles, HighTide, Landmark Theatres, Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre, Norwich Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. Supported by Arts Council England, the consortium aims to create original work that supports local talent and reaches audiences across the region.

Stone said: “It has been a delight to develop Caroline, a bold, loud and joyfully defiant show which celebrates the rich cultural history of East Anglia.”