Two Midlands theatres were behind the original production of a musical which has just opened in the West End.
Northampton Royal and Derngate, Derby LIVE and West Yorkshire Playhouse staged The Go-Between in association with Perfect Pitch. It is based on the novel by L P Hartley, with music and lyrics by Richard Taylor and book and lyrics by David Wood.
The original production, directed by Roger Haines who is also directing Greene Light Stage and Bill Kenwright’s revival in London, won best musical production at the UK Theatre Awards in 2012. It fought off fierce competition from the likes of Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd featuring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.
Peter Ireson, director of Derby LIVE, said, “it’s great news to hear this wonderful musical which Derby LIVE helped develop and originally produced is to have a new production in the West End.
“Derby LIVE had responsibility and funding for produced theatre in Derby for only four years. It’s quite an accolade that from that period both Onassis starring Robert Lindsay and The Go-Between went on to have a further life in the West End.”