Webber's Woman in White to close

Maria Friedman is currently in the Broadway production

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Woman in White musical is to close in London and go on a national tour.

The curtain will close at the Palace Theatre on 25 February after 19 months.

The show, adapted from the Wilkie Collins novel, will begin a year-long national UK tour in January 2007.

The musical opened in Broadway last November and is doing good business. The London producer Sonia Friedman said it was a "ground-breaking piece of musical theatre".

She added: "I am very proud to have produced The Woman In White. A completely new musical is a rarity these days.

"The Broadway production continues its successful run and I look forward to announcing plans for the reconceived show in another London theatre and our full UK touring dates in due course."

The musical saw Michael Crawford make his theatre return as Count Fosco, opposite Maria Friedman's Marian.

Friedman is currently starring in the New York production.

The 45-year-old actress was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks before opening night but went ahead with her Broadway debut, winning rave reviews.