Leicester Curve and the Birmingham Hippodrome have revealed plans for a major new co-production of the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker’s best seller The Color Purple.
Directed by award-winning Tinuke Craig (2014 Genesis Future Directors Award), the production which will be the first UK presentation of the award-winning show outside of London, will play Curve from 28 June until 13 July 2019 before heading for Birmingham to play the Hippodrome from 16-20 July 2019.
The announcement coincides with milestone celebrations for both venues, with Curve marking its tenth birthday this year while the Hippodrome will celebrate its 120th birthday in 2019.
In a statement announcing the co-production, Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said: “The Color Purple celebrates remarkable women, telling incredible stories. From its Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, her courageous creation in heroine Celie to Oprah Winfrey – who had the vision to make the story into a smash-hit Broadway musical. And we are thrilled to introduce our equally astonishing director Tinuke Craig and welcome her to Curve.
“As we embark on our second decade as a theatre here in Leicester and our friends at Birmingham Hippodrome celebrate their 120th year, our co-production of this beautiful, moving musical feels like a fitting way for us to mark these celebratory years. All of us at Curve are looking forward to working with Tinuke, Fiona Allan and the Hippodrome team very much.”
On behalf of the Birmingham Hippodrome, artistic director and chief executive Fiona Allan added: “This is the very first time that Birmingham Hippodrome has actively co-produced a main stage musical, and we could not have better partners than Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster at Curve theatre, and director Tinuke Craig.
“The Color Purple is an epic and timeless story that will appeal to audiences young and old, as evidenced by the recent Tony Award-winning Broadway production. It is long overdue for a UK tour, and I’m proud that the Hippodrome play our part in bringing it to life here in Birmingham.”
Based on Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the musical has a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Stephen Bray and Allee Willis. The original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008 and was nominated for 11 Tony awards winning one for LaChanze who played Celie.
The show’s London debut came with the critically-acclaimed 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production which starred Cynthia Errivo who reprised the role when the production transferred to Broadway and collected the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The production which also featured Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson making her stage debut as Shug won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Angela Thomas
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