Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
Following its opening at the Watermill Theatre, a critically-acclaimed sell-out tour in 2019, a highly successful Christmas season at The Other Palace in 2019, a Grammy nomination and three Olivier Award nominations, Amélie The Musical arrives in the West End this summer.
Following the government roadmap announcement, tickets are on sale now for a socially distanced audience at the Criterion Theatre from 20 May, with a press night on 2 June. Olivier-nominee Audrey Brisson will return to the role of ‘Amélie’.
Amélie The Musical will be brought to life by a cast of actor-musicians and set to a critically-acclaimed re-orchestrated score. With music by Hem’s Daniel Messé, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Messé and book by Craig Lucas, this musical adaptation of the five-time Oscar-nominated film written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant is directed by Michael Fentiman.
The producers acknowledge that all current government guidelines will be adhered to in terms of Covid security, and they will keep them under constant review. The seating plan at the Criterion has been designed to facilitate social distancing. The box office system is responsive to demand and will automatically auto-distance seats during the booking process to ensure a minimum one metre space between patrons until such a time that social distancing is no longer a legal requirement.
Louis Hartshorn, CEO of Hartshorn-Hook Productions, said: “Amélie is about kindness, distance and human connection, and resonates deeply with what we have all been through over the last year. We’re very excited to be bringing this beautiful production to the West End and contributing to the reopening of the theatre industry. We thank the Arts Council and DCMS for the support of the Culture Recovery Fund and our hard working producing and creative teams for their passionate and careful work to bring our shows back to the stage.”
The full cast includes Sioned Saunders as Gina, Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Georgette/Sylvie, Rachel Dawson as Amandine/Philomene, Oliver Grant as Lucien/Mysterious Man, Chris Jared as Nino Quincampoix, Caolan McCarthy as Hippolito/Elton John, Samuel Morgan-Grahame as Joseph/Fluffy, Kate Robson-Stuart as Suzanne, Jack Quarton as Blind Beggar, Jez Unwin as Raphael/Bretodeau and Johnson Willis as Collignon/Dufayel. Nuwan Hugh Perera, Miiya Alexandra, Robyn Sinclair and Matthew James Hinchliffe complete the ensemble.
The original film, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, was released in 2001, starring Audrey Tautou and Matthieu Kassovitz. Taking over $33 million in a limited theatrical release, it remains the highest-grossing French-language film released in the United States, and one of the biggest international successes for a French film. Amélie won Best Film at the European Film Awards, four César Awards in 2002 (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTA Awards (including Best Original Screenplay), and was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best foreign language film. Amélie The Musical was first staged in California in 2015 and was described as an “enchanting act of theatrical reinvention” (The Los Angeles Times).
Audrey Brisson’s theatre credits include: The Elephantom, Pinocchio and Pericles (National Theatre), Midnight’s Pumpkin and The Wild Bride (Kneehigh), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Kensington Gardens), Dead Dog in a Suitcase & Other Love Songs (Kneehigh), Romeo and Juliet (Rose Theatre, Kingston), The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk (Kneehigh), The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic), The Strada (UK tour and The Other Palace). Her film credits include: Hereafter directed by Clint Eastwood and W.E. directed by Madonna. Television includes: Outlander and Money. Radio includes the title role in Amy Dorrit.
Amélie The Musical is directed by Michael Fentiman, designed by Madeleine Girling, with musical supervision and arrangements by Barnaby Race, movement direction by Tom Jackson Greaves, lighting design by Elliot Griggs, sound design by Tom Marshall, puppet design and construction by Dik Downey and musical direction, additional orchestrations and arrangements by Samuel Wilson.
The Grammy-nominated original London cast recording of Amélie is available digitally and will be released on CD on 1 April.
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