Olivier Award nominee David Fynn will take on the title role in the eagerly awaited West End premiere of Beetlejuice: The Musical.
The actor who played wannabe rocker turned teacher Dewey Finn in the hit West End production of School of Rock The Musical will materialise as the self-styled ‘Ghost With The Most’ at the Prince Edward Theatre from 20 May.
Looking forward to stepping into the chaotic character first unleashed on screen by Michael Keaton, Fynn said: “It’s a show I’ve admired for a long time – bold, funny and totally chaotic. Getting the chance to step into such an iconic role is both a huge honour and a slightly surreal experience. I’m looking forward to bringing my own take to it while staying true to what makes the character so much fun. Plus, I do look good in stripes, and I am a little dead inside.”
Presented by Crossroads Live and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, the hit production is planned to haunt the West End for a strictly limited run up to 17 April 2027.
Reuniting the creative team behind the musical which first appeared on Broadway in 2019, the West End production which features a book by Scott Brown (Castle Rock) and Anthony King (Broad City), and an original score by Eddie Perfect (King Kong) will be directed by award-winning director Alex Timbers (Here Lies Love, Moulin Rouge! The Musical).
Announcing the London transfer last year, producer James Lane from Crossroads Lives said: “The wait is over! We are beyond thrilled to be working alongside Warner Bros. and the ingenious team behind Beetlejuice to bring this highly anticipated Broadway hit to London’s West End at last. There is nothing else quite like this show, and audiences really are in for a terrifyingly hilarious treat at the spectacular Prince Edward Theatre next year.”
Co-producers Mark Kaufman (Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures) and Kevin McCormick (Langley Park Productions) added: “After three successful Broadway engagements, a record-setting 88-city North American tour, and captivating audiences across international stages in Tokyo, Seoul, Abu Dhabi and Melbourne, Beetlejuice will finally arrive in the United Kingdom. We are thrilled Beetlejuice will soon make its debut in London’s West End with its signature wit and irreverence.”
Beetlejuice: The Musical features choreography by Connor Gallagher, music supervision, orchestrations and incidental music by Kris Kukul with additional arrangements by Kris Kukul and Eddie Perfect. Scenic design is by David Korins, costume design is by William Ivey Long, with lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Michael Weber, hair and wig design by Charles G LaPointe, make-up design by Joe Dulude II and dance arrangements by David Dabbon, with casting by Harry Blumenau.
The 1988 movie Beetlejuice gave the mainstream moviegoer a first glimpse of the distinctive creative talent and vision of Tim Burton, the director who had gained a devoted cult following for his first full-length feature Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Based on an original script by novelist Michael McDowell, Burton’s inventive and innovative film featured a wickedly funny, scene-stealing performance from Michael Keaton as the poltergeist Betelgeuse and a career-launching turn from Ryder as Goth teen Lydia.
The story of a recently deceased young couple (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who are tricked into enlisting the help of the devious Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice) to help them rid their dream home of its new obnoxious owners, the film was a hit at the box office and with the critics.
Word of a stage musical version of the film first emerged in 2016. However, the biggest obstacle to transforming the film into a stage musical was the fact that the title character is essentially a featured character with limited screen time in the original film. For the stage version, writers Scott Brown and Anthony King and composer and lyricist Eddie Perfect put the character front and centre.
After try-out run in Washington in 2018, Beetlejuice The Musical burst onto Broadway in March 2019 with the stars of the original workshops, School of Rock’s Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso in the central roles of the self-styled bio-exorcist Beetlejuice and Lydia.
Angela Thomas
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