It has been rumoured that the Wicked and Glee star Kristin Chenoweth could be set to return to London for a fresh stint performing, this time in Stiles and Drewe's Soapdish. The musical, an adaptation of the 1991 film starring Sally Field, Robert Downey Jr and Whoopi Goldberg, tells the backstage story of the cast and crew of a popular fictional television soap opera, providing a fly on the wall and behind the scenes glimpse of the performing world.
The musical was first workshopped in 2010 with Gavin Creel and Sally Ann Triplett, and then received a rehearsed reading in New York in 2012 starring Chenoweth herself, alongside Jane Krakowski. Sources have since revealed that the musical could now receive its UK premiere at the newly rebranded 'The Other Palace' theatre next year in 2017. Back in 2016 it was announced that the St James Theatre would be rebranded to The Other Palace, following its purchase by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The Other Palace artistic director Paul Taylor Mills recently announced the venue's first season, which included Frances Ruffelle in The Wild Party. It could now see Chenoweth in Soapdish, returning to the capital to a multitude of fans - both of herself and the musical Wicked, for which she is perhaps best known. Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda in Wicked, and has other credits including On the Twentieth Century and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown for which she won a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award.
In terms of Stiles and Drewe, their names are very current for the West End theatre scene. Their writing partnership has flourished in recent years, with successes including Chicago and Mary Poppins, and the more recent Half a Sixpence and The Wind in the Willows.
