Xanadu receives UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE HIT Broadway musical comedy Xanadu will receive its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse (The Large), where it runs from Friday, October 16 Saturday, November 21, 2015.
With book by Douglas Carter Beane and music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, Xanadu is the hilarious roller skating musical adventure based on the 1980s cult movie classic which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.
Kira, the magical and beautiful Greek muse, descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus for Venice Beach, California, on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco. But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.
Xanadu features chart topping songs from the film, including Magic, Suddenly, I’m Alive, Evil Woman, All Over the World and of course, Xanadu.
Xanadu originally opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway in 2007 where it ran for over 500 performances, winning the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Best Book. It was also nominated for four Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress, Best Book of a Musical and Best Choreography. The musical broke the Helen Hayes one-day box office record the day after the reviews came out.
Xanadu will be directed by Paul Warwick Griffin and designed by Morgan Large, with choreography by Nathan M. Wright and sound by Richard Brooker. Casting has still to be announced.
Tickets: Previews (October 16 – 20): all tickets £12. From October 21 to November 21: £22, £18 concessions. To book, call 020 7407 0234 or visit southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/.
Times: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm; Saturday matinees at 3pm.
Also at Southwark Playhouse: Austin Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow (July 1 to July 25) and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Grand Hotel (July 31 to September 5, 2015).