The Society of London theatre say that their Box Office Data Report for 2009 reveals that West End ticket prices have doubled in the space of fifteen years. SOLT say that the average ticket "asking price" last year was £43.07, compared to £21.36 back in 1995, but that the amount ultimately paid by audience members has increased more slowly, apparently because of a rise in the number of discounted tickets. They also note that the increases accelerated in the last three years.

Trying to explain the figures, the report suggests that "increases in the costs of mounting and marketing theatrical productions, which have generally risen at a considerably higher rate than the Retail Price Index, will obviously be a significant contributor to rising ticket prices".

Booking has opened for the Society Of London Theatre's annual West End Kids Week. During the event, which in fact runs for a fortnight, every full paying adult can get one free child's ticket, and take another two children at half price, to more than thirty different London shows. Kids Week also offers children the chance to actively involve themselves in theatre, by participating in workshops and attending Q&As.

SOLT's Emma De Souza says: "Whatever your taste, Kids Week guarantees a brilliant experience for the whole family during the summer holidays and we are delighted that this year there is a stunning line-up of more than 30 hit shows. Kids Week encourages you to be adventurous and perhaps go and see something a little bit different to your usual choices. Tickets for popular shows do go fast, so make sure you book early and keep checking the website for all the latest availability".

See www.kidsweek.co.uk for more information.

Old Vic director Kevin Spacey has announced events for the venue's new season, and included in the line up is Richard Eyre's first project there since 1974. The esteemed director will helm John Mortimer’s version of 'A Flea In Her Ear', which was last staged at the Old Vic in 1966. There will also be a production of Noel Coward's 'Design For Living', and a staging of Terence Rattigan's final play, 'Cause Celebre'. Lined up to appear in the shows are the likes of Lisa Dillon, Tom Burke and Tom Hollander.

Spacey says: "It’s hard to believe that we are now preparing to open our seventh season at The Old Vic. These are three great plays that all rather brilliantly explore the attitudes of their time and offer wonderful roles to actors".

He adds this praise for his sponsors: "I would like to thank Bank of America Merrill Lynch for their support and partnership. These are tough times for corporate sponsorship and I applaud them for stepping up and showing their commitment to the arts and culture".

The likes of Adrian Lester, Samantha Spiro and Daniel Evans are amongst those who will make appearances at the Donmar Warehouse during the venue's events celebrating Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday.

A run of the composer's 1994 musical 'Passion' will be staged at the Donmar in the autumn, but there will also be concert performances of 'Company' and 'Merrily We Roll Along', to take place at the Queen's Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue with cast members from bygone Donmar productions returning to reprise their roles: Lester will appear in 'Company', whilst Spiro and Evans are in 'Merrily We Roll Along'.

There will also be two 'In Conversation' events, one in which the venue's artistic director Michael Grandage will talk to his predecessor Sam Mendes about Sondheim's works and their relationship with the Donmar, and one featuring the composer himself.

Sondheim says: "My association with the Donmar Warehouse has been a joy from its inception in 1992 with Assassins through its productions of Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods and Pacific Overtures. Our collaborations over the years have been professionally fulfilling and personally gratifying and now I’m honoured and thrilled that they are presenting Passion to help celebrate my 80th birthday. There is no venue, or team of artists, that I would rather have produce the piece".

Ray Meagher, who is most famous for his role as Alf Stewart on 'Home and Away', is to join the cast of the Palace Theatre's 'Priscilla Queen Of The Desert' later this year. The actor will assume the role of Bob the mechanic as of 30 September, appearing alongside Don Gallagher, Ben Richards and Oliver Thornton in the show.

The Young Vic has announced its line up for its fortieth anniversary season, which will include the British premiere of 'The Human Comedy', Icelandic company Vesturport's version of 'Faust', plus revivals of Tennessee Williams' 'The Glass Menagerie' and the stage adaptation of DBC Pierre's 'Vernon God Little', originally staged at the venue back in 2007.

Elsewhere, The Young Vic's partnership with English National Opera continues, with a production of Monteverdi's 'The Return Of Ulysses', and French director Patrice Chereau will make his UK debut, helming Jon Fosse play 'I Am The Wind', adapted by Simon Stephens. The venue will also collaborate with children's theatre company Fevered Sleep, who will present 'On Ageing', which is performed by children but intended for an adult audience, and children's show 'And The Rain Falls Down'.

Artistic director David Lan commented on the new season thus: "Big stories. Big emotions. Big ideas from around the world. Our work has never been stronger. Our tickets have never been cheaper. 40 years old and still full of beans".

The Stage reports that 'Glee' star Matthew Morrison may appear in a production at the Donmar Warehouse, and is in talks with artistic director Michael Grandage and associate director Rob Ashford about it. The actor's background is in musical theatre, and apparently misses being on stage "more than anything" whilst working in TV.

He told The Stage: "I met with Michael Grandage and Rob Ashford and they gave me a tour of the Donmar. It’s such an amazing space. That is something I might be able to do because the runs are so short. They were just saying, 'Come to us with a project you would want to do'. And so I have some ideas for stuff I have been thinking about".

He added that he would be interested in appearing in a new piece, be it play or musical.

Whoopi Goldberg, who is one of the producers of the West End production of 'Sister Act' at the Palladium, will join the cast of the show on stage for a brief period this summer. It's the actress's West End debut, but she's done lots on Broadway, and as you all surely know, she starred in the original film, so knows the ropes, so to speak. She will replace Sheila Hancock, who has played the role of the Mother Superior since the show opened back in May 2009.

Goldberg will appear from 10 – 31 August.

The award winning show 'Black Watch' by Gregory Burke is to return to the Barbican Theatre at the end of this year. The show, which will feature a new cast, will go up on 27 November and run until 22 January next year. The play originally premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006, and commenced its first London run in 2008.

Also planned for the Barbican's autumn season are the British premiere of 'Nearly Ninety', late US choreographer Merce Cunningham's final work, Stephen Petronio's 'I Drink The Air Before Me', and the previously reported anniversary production of 'Les Miserables', which, which opens on 14 Sep.

A planning application to turn a former Finsbury Park office block into a new theatre are to be submitted to Islington council this month. The building, which has lain empty for the last two years,  would become the Park Theatre, and include a 200 seat theatre, and a smaller studio space. It's a £2million development, which will include flats above the theatre space which will be sold to subsidise the costs of creating the the theatre, and it's initial running costs.

Artistic director Jez Bond says the venue will produce, but also rent space to visiting companies, and will stage new works as well as revivals. He explains: "I want to build a theatrical powerhouse for north London basically... it's a bit of a cultural desert at the moment".

The musical version of 'Shrek' is to be staged at the Theatre Royal Drury lane from next summer, following a successful two year run on Broadway. The show, as you might well expect, if you thought about it, is based on both the book 'Shrek!', by William Steig, and on the 2001 DreamWorks film of the same name. Previews begin in May, and the press night is set for 7 June. Casting hasn't yet been announced for this production, so please be satisfied with a picture of the New York cast on the left.

The Stage reports that Thomas Schumacher, Head of Disney Theatrical Productions, has praised the National Theatre, and says he hopes it won't be affected by the economic downturn. Financial cuts were recently announced for all of the Arts Council's regularly funded organisations, of which the National is one,  meaning that the theatre will lose around £100k funding.

Schumacher told the paper: "I cannot think of another theatrical institution anywhere in the world that does the extraordinary level of work, depth of work and service to the audience that Nick [Hytner] does at the National. It’s a world treasure, not just a British treasure. I am constantly in the theatre - small theatres, big theatres, foreign work, performance work, commercial work, and I just see nothing on a consistent basis like I see at the National Theatre. It’s a real treasure, and I certainly hope it will be protected".

A variety show is to take place at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 26 September, to celebrate the venue's 100th birthday. 'A Centennial Celebration' will feature turns from the likes of Barry Cryer, Catherine Tate and Alistair McGowan, and will raise money for the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund and the Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust. It's to be directed by veteran Royal Variety Performance producer Kevin Bishop.

New Wimbledon Theatre's executive general manager Maralyn Sarrington says this: "'A Centennial Celebration' will be a joyous, unique evening and the fact that we are raising funds to support such great charities is the icing on the birthday cake".

Alison Steadman is to star in a new production of Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit' at the Apollo Theatre next year. The play, which is to be brought to the West End by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, will run from 2 March until 18 June 2011. It will be directed by Thea Sharrock, who has helmed the production of Terence Rattigan's 'After The Dance', which is currently on at the National Theatre.

Steadman will play the role of the clairvoyant. Further casting to follow.

Vanessa Redgrave is to star alongside James Earl Jones in a Broadway production of 'Driving Miss Daisy'. The 73 year old actress has made a number of appearances on the New York stage during her career, and won a Tony award back in 2003 for her performance in 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'. Her last Broadway appearance was in 2007, in 'The Year Of Magical Thinking'.

'Driving Miss Daisy' originally premiered off-Broadway in 1987, won a Pulitzer in 1988, and in 1989 was made into the Oscar winning film starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman. The show opens on 25 October at the John Golden Theatre.

Olivier Award nominated Cornish theatre company Kneehigh are planning to bring a new stage production of 1964 musical 'Les Parapluies De Cherbourg' to the West End next year. No venue or dates are yet confirmed, but the show will apparently premiere at the Curve in Leicester in February before tranferring to London.

Michel Legrand's original film, which starred Catherine DeNeuve, won the Palme D'Or on its release, and was nominated for five Oscars. The new stage production will be adapted by Kneehigh's artistic director, Emma Rice.

Peter Egan – who made his name on TV in the eighties with his turn on 'Ever Decreasing Circles' - is to star in 'The Secret of Sherlock Holmes' at the Duchess Theatre from 15 July. He'll be joined by Robert Daws, of 'The Royal' and 'Jeeves and Wooster' fame, who plays Watson.

The play, first produced in 1988, is about Holmes' encounter with nemesis Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. This production fills the breach in the Duchess's schedule created by the early closure of 'The Fantasticks', which played for just three weeks and closed at the weekend.

Tony Christie is to make his West End debut when he joins the cast of jukebox musical 'Dreamboats and Petticoats' on 5 July. The crooner will play the role of Older Bobby and Phil, Bobby's father.

Christie says: "I saw the show’s original opening night in London almost a year ago and just loved the story. And of course the music is incredible – The Platters, Phil Spector, Roy Orbison, Marty Wilde – all artists I grew up listening to. As soon as I saw it I’ve been searching for a gap in my diary to join the show".

The show was first staged at the Savoy Theatre following a UK tour, but has been playing at the Playhouse theatre since January .

Award winning musical 'Five Guys Named Moe' is to return to Theatre Royal Stratford East this autumn, having premiered at the venue back in 1990. The new production will star the show's creator Clarke Peters, aka Detective Lester Freamon from 'The Wire', as Nomax, the broke and lonely man who is comforted by the quintet of Moes, who emerge from his radio to perform jazz for him.

Peters says: "I am over the moon that 20 years on Five Guys still has the power to excite people with expectation. There are fond memories for those who ‘partayed’ with us before and joyful curiosity for those who didn’t. I don’t think they will be disappointed. I’m excited it’s happening".

Kerry Michael, the Theatre Royal artistic director, adds: "20 years on people still talk about how fantastic the show was and once this revival hits the stage I’m sure they’ll continue to talk about it for many more years to come".

The revival will launch at the Edinburgh Festival, before proceeding to Stratford, opening there on 7 September.

Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove, co-stars in Judge John Deed, are to be reunited on the West End stage later this year, when they appear at London's Apollo Theatre in 'The Country Girl' by Clifford Odets. The play, which chronicles the story of an alcoholic actor and his wife, was adapted into a 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, and won two Oscars. This production, directed by Rufus Norris, runs from 6 October until 26 February, 2011.

Seagrove is a frequent performer on the West End stage, and has only recently finished a run in Alan Ayckbourn’s 'Bedroom Farce' at the Duke of York's. Shaw made his last London theatre appearance in 'A Man For All Seasons' at Theatre Royal Haymarket back in 2006.