The world premiere of new musical Playboy of the West Indies is among a number of further projects announced to mark 50 years of the Birmingham Rep on Centenary Square.
First workshopped at the National Theatre Studio in 2018, the musical version of Mustapha Matura’s re-invention of John Millington Synge’s 1907 play The Playboy of the Western World will debut in Birmingham from 10 June until 2 July 2022.
A Birmingham Rep and Nick of Time co-production, Trinidadian playwright Matura’s critically-acclaimed 1984 Caribbean-flavoured work has been transformed into a musical by Matura, Clement Ishmael, Nicholas Kent and Dominique Le Gendre.
The other major genre production to feature in 2022 will be a new production of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s acclaimed revival of Alan Parker’s inventive Bugsy Malone. A co-production with Theatre Royal Bath and Kenny Wax, the production which is directed by Sean Holmes and choreographed by The Rep artistic associate will bring Fat Sam, Tallulah and co to The House from 27 July until 14 August 2022.
Announcing the programme Birmingham Rep’s artistic director Sean Foley said: “Reopening The Rep after such a long close-down has been an exhilarating, somewhat hair-raising, and occasionally genuinely electrifying experience.
“Welcoming audiences back, and re-starting work with great artists, has had an extraordinary rejuvenating effect: it is the life-blood of any theatre, and everyone working at The Rep has been thrilled by the response to our productions.
“We are so grateful that our 25th anniversary production of East is East went on to reopen the NT’s Lyttleton, and that What’s New Pussycat? has been such a huge hit with audiences.
“Now, we continue to toast The Rep’s 50th Anniversary in its Centenary Square home with new shows that innovate, investigate and celebrate. For over 100 years The Rep has been the home of the new in UK theatre, and we are as excited as ever to invite audiences to the original ‘you had to be there’ experience of live theatre.”
Angela Thomas
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