Love Story transfers to the West End
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
LATER this year, the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Love Story will transfer to the West End’s Duchess Theatre, where it opens on December 6, 2010 (previews from November 27).
Produced in the West End by Michael Ball – making his producing debut – Adam Spiegel and Stephen Waley-Cohen, this new musical adaptation of Erich Segal’s best-selling novel is initially booking until February 26, 2011.
Oliver Barrett IV went to Harvard and Jenny Cavilleri to Radcliffe. He was rich, she was poor. He was sporty, she played music. But they fell in love. This is their story.
Segal’s novel has sold over 21 million copies world-wide and been published in 33 languages. The 1970 film adaptation, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, became one of the most romantic films of all time.
Love Story is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with music by Howard Goodall, book by Stephen Clark and lyrics by Stephen Clark and Howard Goodall. The production is designed by Peter McKintosh and has musical direction by Stephen Ridley. Casting will be announced shortly.
Emmy, Brit and BAFTA award-winning Howard Goodall is one of the UK’s most versatile and distinguished composers. His extensive scores include Q.I., The Vicar of Dibley, The Gathering Storm, The Borrowers, The Catherine Tate Show, Mr Bean, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, Mr Bean’s Holiday and Blackadder.
And his musical theatre compositions include The Hired Man, Girlfriends, Days of Hope, Catwalk, The Kissing Danceand The Dreaming.
Stephen Clark‘s work includes Mahabharata (Sadler’s Wells), The Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury Theatre), the Olivier award-winning Martin Guerre (Prince Edward Theatre), La Traviata (English National Opera) and Zorro (Garrick Theatre and Folies Bergère, Paris).
Rachel Kavanaugh‘s directing credits include The Music Man starring Brian Conley and A Small Family Business (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Merry Wives of Windsor and Alice in Wonderland (Royal Shakespeare Company); Hilda (Hampstead Theatre) and The Rivals (Bristol Old Vic). She is currently Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Although Michael Ball is making his producing debut with Love Story, he is well known for his many stage roles, including Hairspray‘s Olivier Award-winning Edna Turnblad, Marius in Les Misérables, Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Count Fosco in The Woman in White in the West End and on Broadway.
Tickets: £25, £40, £55.
Times: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm.
Running time: 90 minutes.
The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, starring Peter Egan (as Holmes) and Robert Daws (Watson), continues at the Duchess Theatre until September 11, 2010.