Watch out for . . .

HOWARD, a fascinating documentary on Disney+ about the life of Howard Ashman, the artistic visionary behind the 1991 Academy Award-winning Disney film Beauty And The Beast (and many other classics). It was Ashman who wrote the lyrics for the movie’s songs (Belle, Be Our Guest, Something There, etc), with Alan Menken. He died five months before the film was released but was honoured with a best song Oscar (for the title number) posthumously. A couple of years later, Tim Rice wrote additional songs for the Broadway stage adaptation, which opened in 1994. Now Disney Theatrical is launching a UK and Ireland tour that will begin at the Leicester Curve for a five-week run from May 2021. The original Broadway creative team, led by director Robert Jesse Roth and choreographer Matt West, will oversee the production, which has just begun casting for roles including my favourite: teapot housekeeper Mrs Potts (right), voiced by Angela Lansbury in the film. Once the tour is done, there are unconfirmed whispers about the West End sometime in 2022.