Not seen in the UK since 1992, saucy cult hit Moby Dick! The Musical is back. Originally produced by Cameron Mackintosh, Moby Dick! The Musical has a book by Robert Longden and music and lyrics by Longden and Hereward Kaye.
Cameron Mackintosh comments, When I first put on Robert Longdon and Hereward Kaye’s irrepressible version of ‘Moby Dick! The Musical’ 25 years ago, London had virtually no Off West End theatres and the outrageous joy of shows like ‘The Producers’ and ‘The Book of Mormon’ were still decades away. An unlikely alliance between Melville’s great novel and the immortal St Trinian’s girls, ‘Moby Dick!’ is truly a whale of a tale. I’m really delighted that Andrew Wright saw the show as a student in Oxford and has taken up his harpoon to bring Moby roaring back to the New Union Theatre with a wonderful diverse young cast of school ‘girls’ to holler ‘Thar She Blows’!
The anarchic and nubile girls of St. Godley's Academy for Young Ladies are in trouble! Money for the school has run out and it’s threatened with closure. Determined to save their school from bankruptcy, the resourceful girls, and their unflappable headmistress come up with a plan to keep the school afloat. Using whatever they can find, the girls mount an original production as a fundraiser - a musical version of Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick, featuring their own headmistress in the coveted role of Captain Ahab.
This brand new production, staged for the show’s 25th Anniversary, is directed and choreographed by double Olivier Award nominee Andrew Wright. Andrew comments I am very excited to bring ‘Moby Dick! The Musical’ back to London after 25 years. I saw the original production at the Oxford Fire Station in 1991 and fell in love with its anarchic charm and sheer exuberance. The New Union Theatre is the perfect venue to unleash the girls of St Godley’s version of this classic tale. 25 years on, the piece feels more relevant than ever and after waiting all that time it will hopefully be the dick you’ve been waiting for!
Director and Choreographer Andrew Wright is reunited with Producer Amy Anzel after their 2014 UK tour of Happy Days – A New Musical, which featured on Channel 4's The Sound of Musicals.
This show is all about having fun and getting involved. Audience members who come in school uniform will get front row onstage seats and play a part in St Godley’s version of Moby Dick.
Moby Dick! The Musical
Performance Dates Wednesday 12th October – Saturday 12th November 2016
Tuesday to Sunday, 7.30pm
Saturday and Sunday matinees, 2.30pm
Running time tbc
Location Union Theatre, 204 Union Street, London SE1 0LX
www.uniontheatre.biz
How to get there The nearest underground stations are Southwark (on the Jubilee line) or London Bridge (on the Jubilee line and Northern line). The nearest rail station is Waterloo or London Bridge. Parking is available on Union Street after 6.30pm on weekdays and all day on weekends.
Twitter @MobyDickLDN, @TheUnionTheatre, #MobyDickLondon
Box Office Tickets are available starting at £15 from the Union Theatre Box Office and www.uniontheatre.biz, 020 7261 9876
Director/Choreographer Andrew Wright
Musical Director Lee Freeman
Set Designer Anna Kelsey
Costume Designer Ryan Walklett (Appeared on Great British Sewing Bee 2015)
Lighting Designer Tim Deiling
Sound Designer James Nicholson
Producers Amy Anzel in association with Matt Chisling
Casting Director Adam Braham
Andrew Wright
Half A Sixpence (Chichester Festival Theatre), Cinderella (London Palladium) in 2016. Singin’ In The Rain (Chichester Festival Theatre, Palace Theatre, UK national tour, Japan, Asia, Russia and Australia) winner of Best Choreographer WhatsOnStage Awards 2013 and nominated for Best Choreographer Olivier Awards 2012 and Broadway World Awards 2011. Guys and Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre, Phoenix and Savoy Theatre), nominated for Best Choreographer Olivier Awards 2016 and Broadway World Awards 2014. Barnum (Theatre in the Park, Chichester and National Tour) Best Choreographer nomination Broadway World Awards 2013. 42nd Street (Chichester Festival Theatre and Curve, Leicester), The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound (Minerva Theatre), High Society (National Tour), Wonderful Town (National Tour), Betty Blue Eyes (National Tour), Saturday Night Fever (National Tour), A Little Night Music (Palace Theatre), Follies (Royal Albert Hall), the world premiere of Mrs Henderson Presents (Theatre Royal, Bath and Noel Coward Theatre) and Oliver! (Curve, Leicester).
The Showgirl Within (Garrick Theatre), Broadway to the Bay (WMC), Nunsense A-Men and Naked Boys Singing (Arts Theatre), Almost Like Being In Love (National Theatre), Stepping Out (Salisbury Playhouse), Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi (Liverpool Playhouse, Union Theatre and Trafalgar Studios) Best Choreographer nomination Broadway World Awards 2010, By Jeeves (Landor Theatre), I Sing (Union Theatre) and Soul Traders (Edinburgh Festival).
He directed and choreographed Happy Days (National Tour) Best Director/Choreographer nomination Broadway World Awards 2014.
