sunday 2 april Lucky Nurse and other Short Musical Plays, a bill of four musicals by Michael John LaChiusa, is staged tonight, and on 9th and 16th April at the Finborough Theatre. David Darrian directs this show which was first performed in New York in 1991.
Box Office: 0870 4000 838 monday 3 april
 | | The two of us: Members Only |
Robert Bathurst and Nicolas Tennant star in the British premiere of the hit French play Members Only by Fabrice Roger-Lacan, opening at the Trafalgar Studios 2 (following previews from 28 March). Revolving around two lifelong friends and business partners whose relationship is affected when one can't attend the other's 40th birthday, it is directed by Marianne Badrichani.
Box Office: 0870 060 6632 ALSO TONIGHT: the Manchester Royal Exchange production of Tom Murphy's A Whistle in the Dark transfers to London's Tricycle (following previews from 29 March) for a season to 6 May.
Box Office: 020 7328 1000 tuesday 4 april Dawn French and Alison Moyet star in Smaller, a new play by TV writer Carmel Morgan, with music (by Moyet), opening at the Lyric, Shaftesbury Avenue under the direction of Kathy Burke (following previews from 28 March). It tells the story of a woman (French) and her selfless devotion to her disabled mother (June Watson).
Box Office: 0870 890 1107 wednesday 5 april
 | | Iain Glen in The Crucible |
The RSC production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible transfers to open at the Gielgud Theatre (following previews from 29 March), with Iain Glen starring as John Proctor in Dominic Cooke's production.
Box Office: 0870 890 1105 ALSO TONIGHT: the Barbican's Beckett Centenary Festival continues with his most famous play, Waiting for Godot (following previews from 4 April), for a season to 15 April.
Box Office: 020 7638 8891 AND: The Veiled Screen – A Secret History of Hollywood is written and performed by Ernesto Tomasini at the Drill Hall from tonight to 30 April.
Box Office: 020 7307 5060 thursday 6 april
 | | An RSC new work: Postcards from America |
The RSC's new work season at Soho Theatre continues with Dominic Cooke's double-bill of American plays, Postcards from America, with Suzanne Burden and Lia Williams (following previews from 4 April), running to 22 April.
Box Office: 0870 429 6883 ALSO TONIGHT: Edinburgh Fringe First Award winner Trad, written by comedian and actor Mark Doherty, comes to the Bush (following previews from 4 April), for a season to 29 April.
Box Office: 020 7610 4224 ALSO TONIGHT: the cult 70s film The Harder They Come is brought to the stage of the Theatre Royal, Stratford East (following previews from 25 March) in a version that features all the songs from the film.
Box Office: 0800 183 1188 friday 7 april Matthew Wilkie's 412 Letters opens at the Union Theatre, Southwark (following previews from 4 April) for a season to 22 April.
Box Office: 020 7261 9876 monday 10 april
 | | Piano man: James Fox |
Twyla Tharp's Broadway hit narrative ballet set to 24 Billy Joel songs, Movin' Out, opens at the Apollo Victoria (following previews from 28 March), for a season to 17 July. James Fox performs the Joel songs live at the piano, backed by a full onstage band, with an international company of dancers that include Holly Cruickshank, Ron Todorowski, David Gomez, Matthew Dibble and Laura Costa-Chaud.
Box Office: 0870 4000 889 ALSO TONIGHT: Jerry Herman's Mack and Mabel opens at the Criterion Theatre (following previews from 5 April) starring David Soul and Janie Dee in the title roles of John Doyle's production, first seen at Newbury's Watermill Theatre.
Box Office: 0870 060 2313 AND: Richard Wilson directs Simon Farquhar's Aberdeen play Rainbow Kiss, opening at the Royal Court's Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, with a cast that includes Joe McFadden (following previews from 5 April).
Box Office: 020 7565 5000
 | | Huge: 'sno business like... |
AND: Marie NDiaye's Paris hit Hilda receives its UK premiere tonight at Hampstead Theatre (following previews from 6 April), for a season to 6 May. Stella Gonet stars in Rachel Kavanaugh's production.
Box Office: 020 7722 9301 AND: Huge, co-written by Jez Butterworth, Ben Miller and Simon Godley, opens at the King's Head, peeling off the dark underbelly of showbusiness (following previews from 4 April).
Box Office: 020 7226 1916 tuesday 11 april Clare Higgins returns to the Donmar Warehouse, where she previously played Hecuba, to now play the title role of Racine's Phaedra (following previews from 6 April), in Tom Cairns' production which also features Linda Bassett, Sean Campion and Michael Feast.
Box Office: 0870 060 6624 wednesday 12 april Trevor Nunn directs a revival of Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun at the Olivier Theatre, opening this year's Travelex £10 season, with a cast that includes Alun Armstrong and Paterson Joseph (following previews from 30 March).
Box Office: 020 7452 3000
 | | Breakfast with Mugabe at Soho Theatre |
ALSO TONIGHT: the RSC's new work season at Soho Theatre concludes with Antony Sher's production of Fraser Grace's Breakfast with Mugabe (following previews from 11 April), running to 22 April.
Box Office: 0870 429 6883 thursday 13 april The Barbican's Beckett Centenary Festival continues with a double bill of his short plays Play and Catastrophe, in the Pit (following previews from 12 April) for a season to 23 April.
Box Office: 020 7638 8891 ALSO TONIGHT: Jermyn Street Theatre launches a new writing initiative with the premiere of Larry Herold's Preacherosity (following previews from 11 April).
Box Office: 020 7287 2875 AND: Improbable and the National Theatre of Scotland's collaboration on an adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's book The Wolves in the Walls comes to Lyric Hammersmith (following previews from 12 April) for a season to 29 April.
Box Office: 08700 500 511 (Interested? For more details and to book direct, go to the Useful Links in the right-hand column, where you can also find the second half of April's diary) | 
