The show will arrive to the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in late November, in a new immersive version where guests will be surrounded by the cast as they are taken into the vibrancy and gloom of the streets of 19th-century New York. With a score written by Alan Menken and direction by Olivier nominee Matt Cole, the musical tells the courageous tale of impoverished paperboys uniting for justice – against communication tycoons’ oppression.
Headlines don’t sell papers. Newsies sell papers. And surely they will be selling quite a few this next season, although this time in the form of tickets (well, those may end up being electronic, but you get my point…). The thing is that another Disney musical is coming to London this November – and on this occasion, this arrival is also marking it’s UK debut. For those who haven’t guessed the title yet (let’s ignore the headline for the sake of humour), Newsies will be opening at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, in an updated immersive version that will run for a strictly limited season.
Directed and choreographed by Olivier nominee Matt Cole, Newsies tells the inspiring story of a group of poor ragged paperboys in search of a better life. When communications tycoon Joseph Pulitzes hikes up his pubications’ prices to his sellers, they will unite and rally to fight against injustice and the exploitation held by the upper classes, relying on one only weapon: solidarity. But amidst the war, love can (and certainly will) rise upon, and in this tale, that’s what’ll happen between one of the protestors and a young reporter. All of this narrated through 8-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken’s unmistakable music style, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein.
First played on Broadway back in 2012, the show was originally scheduled for a limited 100-performance season, but its unprecedented success led it to run for over 1,000. Such achievements would be followed by a national tour and as well as receiving 2 Tony Awards®, including Best Original Score. Produced by Runaway Entertainment among other partners, the creative credits include Set Design by Morgan Large, Musical Supervision, Dance Arrangements & Musical Direction by Nigel Lilley, Costumes by Natalie Pryce, Lighting by Mark Henderson, Sound by Tony Gayle, Performer Flying by John Maddox for Suspended Illusions Ltd, apart from others. As for the venue, this new gamble joins the list of large scale shows hosted by the Troubadour, such as the National Theatre’s War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Newsies will begin previews (all allocations for those priced at £30) on November 29th, with its official opening night on December 8th. Tickets will be available on the following link.
First Night Magazine 