The first collaboration between two theatres-in-the-round, Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic and Manchester’s Royal Exchange, will play in Staffordshire for a fortnight before transferring to the north west for a further six weeks.
Laura Eason’s adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days played at the New Vic in 2013. The same team is behind the revival of this tale of Victorian eccentricity, romance and adventure.
It involves more than 100 characters, eight actors, six trains, six boats, four fights, two dances, a storm, a circus act and an elephant taking to the stage.
New Vic artistic director Theresa Heskins is again at the helm. She said, “It feels momentous to be directing this first meeting between two distinctive theatres-in-the-round.
“I hope that our very physical, low-on-tech, high-on-ingenuity house style will be well received on its first trip away from home, and that this will be the start of a beautiful friendship.”
Andrew Pollard and Michael Hugo will reprise their roles as Phileas Fogg and Passepartout.
Wealthy bachelor Phileas Fogg wagers that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. With his entire fortune on the line, he leaves London with just a change of clothing, £20,000 in banknotes and his wily manservant Passepartout.
Racing across the globe, they pause only to rescue a princess and to battle bandits, buffalo, winter storms and Scotland Yard.
Around the World in Eighty Days runs at the New Vic from Friday (20 June) until Saturday 5 July before racing off to the Royal Exchange from Thursday 17 July until Saturday 16 August.