|
|
||
|
News
|
||
|
News |
Dateline: 11th March, 2004 Ska Musical at Stratford East The sound of ska comes to Theatre Royal Stratford East this spring. The Big Life is a feel-good new ska musical which transports the plot of Shakespeare's Love's Labours Lost to 1950s London.
On the Windrush over from the Caribbean to England, a pact is made by a group of men not to get involved with women for three years whilst they 'institute a regime of work and betterment'. Each man's resolve is tested as one by one they fall prey to Cupid's arrow...
The Big Life is a fun-packed musical about an important but easily forgotten aspect of recent British history. It captures the mood of the period in the music and charts the stories of Caribbean migrants in their hunt for a better life: their struggle to find work, homes and acceptance in their adopted country.
The all-dancing, all-singing cast includes seasoned musical stars Claudia Cadette, Jason Pennycooke (both original cast members of Rent) and Chris Tummings (fresh from a 3-year run in Buddy), comedians Geoff Aymer and Marcus Powell, Maureen Hibbert and Victor Romero Evans (both last seen at Theatre Royal in Ragamuffin), Lorna Brown and Yaa (who both starred in Shoot 2 Win at Theatre Royal) plus Amanda Horlock and Neil Reidman. Music will be provided by a live onstage 5-piece band.
Starting life as part of Theatre Royal Stratford East's Musical Theatre initiative, The Big Life is written by Royal Shakespeare Company Literary Manager Paul Sirett (Rat Pack Confidential) with music by Paul Joseph, lead singer of reggae band Nazarites. The show marks actor Clint Dyer's theatrical directorial debut, is designed by Olivier Award-winning Jenny Tiramani and lit by Gerry Jenkinson.
The Big Life runs from 17th April to 22nd May. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
|
|
|
|