Daniel Luiz, Samuel Sarpong-Broni and Catherine Cornwall
The Prince of Egypt will resume performances at London’s Dominion Theatre on 1 July as planned with a full company of 154 bringing the hit stage musical version of the popular animated film to socially distanced audiences.
With tickets on sale for performances up to 8 January 2022, the producers had allowed for delays to the fourth stage of the Government’s ‘roadmap’ by planning for performances between 1 July and 4 September to take place under the Step 3 safety protocols surrounding social distancing.
Allowing for delays to Step 4 of the ‘roadmap’, full capacity performances are planned from 6 September with contingency plans in place to respond to any further delay or acceleration of the Government’s plans.
Announcing the full details of the cast, orchestra and company for the reopening production, DreamWorks Theatricals, Michael McCabe and Neil Laidlaw said in a joint statement: “On behalf of our authors, creative team and co-producers, we are proud to welcome back our exceptional company of 154 individuals and to once again deliver live performances of this epic theatrical re-imagining of the classic DreamWorks Animation film.
“While initial performances will be in front of socially distanced audiences, we, as one of the West End’s biggest shows and employers, will need a Government-backed insurance scheme against future Covid-related shutdowns and to move to full capacity at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, we look forward to audiences returning from 1 July to the comfort and Covid-secure environment of the Dominion Theatre.”
As recently announced Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe (Guys and Dolls, National Theatre, Me and My Girl, Chichester Festival Theatre) will play Jethro in the production which was just days after its world premiere when the pandemic hit.
Rowe will join the acclaimed 46-strong cast led by Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Tuya), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari) and Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron). Rowe will remain with the production until 16 October and Spring will appear until 18 September.
They will be joined by Simbi Akande, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Joe Atkinson, Danny Becker, Felipe Bejarano, Pàje Campbell, Adam Filipe, Soophia Foroughi, Natalie Green, Jack Harrison-Cooper, Kalene Jeans, Christian Knight, Jessica Lee, Oliver Lidert, Jay Marsh, Scott Maurice, Carly Miles, Alice Readie, Christopher Short, Molly Smith, Ricardo Walker, Danny Williams, Niko Wirachman and Sasha Woodward together with young performers Cian Eagle-Service, Maiya Eastmond, Jersey Blu Georgia, Taylor Jenkins, Mia Lakha, George Menezes Cutts, Iman Pabani and Vishal Soni.
The ensemble cast will also include three graduates making their West End debuts in the production – Catherine Cornwall (2019 Bird College graduate), Daniel Luiz (2021 Mountview graduate) and Samuel Sarpong-Broni (2020 Royal College of Music graduate).
Musical director Dave Rose heads an orchestra made up of Mark Collins (associate musical director, keyboards); Nina Foster/Fiona McCapra (job share); Sonya Fairbairn, Penny Ainscow, Sebastian Rudnicki (violins); Fiona Davies (viola); Magda Pietraszewska (cello); Rory Dempsey (bass); Rupert Widdows (woodwind); Tony Cross (trumpet, flugelhorn); Duncan Fuller, David McQueen (horns); John Gregson (guitars); Murdoch MacDonald (percussion); and Dan Ellis (drums).
The stage management team of Anthony Field (company stage manager); Dominique Pierre-Louis (stage manager); Ryan Quelch (deputy stage manager); Nuri Chang, Charlotte Johnson (assistant stage managers/book cover); Simon Humphris, Chrissie Huxford and Tracey Farrell (assistant stage managers) along with a further 84 backstage staff complete the production’s company of 154.
With a book by Phillip LaZebnik (Disney’s Mulan and Pocahontas), the musical features the new songs by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) together with the five he contributed to the DreamWorks’ film including the movie’s Oscar-winning song ‘When You Believe’ along with ‘Deliver Us’, ‘All I Ever Wanted’ and ‘Through Heaven’s Eyes’.
Based on the hit film, the stage version originally premiered at TheatreWorks in Silicon Valley in the US in 2017 and has been seen at Denmark’s Fredericia Teater. The revised version of the show which includes a new material was showcased at a private reading in London in early 2019.
The creative team for the production includes director Scott Schwartz, choreographer Sean Cheesman, and set designer Kevin Depinet, with costume designs by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting design by Mike Billings, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection designs by Jon Driscoll, illusions by Chris Fisher, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, musical supervision and arrangements by Dominick Amendum, musical direction by Dave Rose, casting by Jim Arnold and children’s casting by Verity Naughton.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.