The UK premiere of new murder mystery musical A Killer Party will debut as a nine-episode series on stream.theatre next month.
Adapted for UK audiences, the show which was a lockdown hit in the US last summer, will be available for home viewing from 19 April until 16 May 2021.
With the line-up of ‘suspects’ to be announced soon, the UK version of the show which boasts a book by Emmy Award-winner Rachel Axler and Kait Kerrigan, music by Grammy Award-winner Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen will be directed by Benji Sperring.
Commenting on the production, Sperring said: “The world has never needed fun, joy and laughter quite like it does at the moment, and A Killer Party provides this in abundance – a delight of a show, with incredible performers and a world-renowned writing team – couldn’t be better timed to remind people of the joy, whimsy, and healing power of theatre that we can look forward to returning to very soon.”
Produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Tanisha Spring for Blue Mahoe Productions and Ilia Szpiezak, the UK version of the show which was developed in response to the Covid theatre closures in the US, will also be filmed entirely in each artist’s home.
Describing her involvement in the project, Lipson said: “As soon as I heard the score for A Killer Party and learnt about its episodic nature, I wanted to be part of creating its UK premiere. We have all had to evolve the way we make theatre right now and the idea of involving a brilliant cast and creating this in such a non-traditional way really attracted me to the piece.”
Paying tribute to the driving force behind the project, composer Howland, fellow producer Spring added: “While we were talking about creative ways to bring work and joy to an industry that had effectively been closed down, Jason [Howland] came up with the concept of A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical.
“Seeing our peers’ livelihoods and dreams stripped away, Jason went away and using all of the limited resources available created something new, intelligent, exciting and utterly hilarious. From that conversation and with the strength of that purpose I knew I couldn’t just watch but had to be involved.
“I am now proud and excited to collaborate with Aria Entertainment and Ilai Szpiezak to bring our version of this ridiculously funny and catchy show to screens across the UK. A brand-new take on something that’s been missing for what feels like a long time.”
Producer Szpiezak said: “Finding a new piece of theatre created especially for a world in lockdown brings both new challenges as well as a new way for audiences to enjoy entertainment in a different way.
“I’m extremely delighted to bring this production to the UK and put together the very best of British Theatre in a new medium to enjoy. All that, topped up with a stunning, modern and classy pop-infused soundtrack, makes it a unique project to be involved with.”
The creative team for the production also includes musical supervisor Nick Barstow and designer Zahra Mansouri with cinematography by Click Boom Studios.
A Killer Party debuted on American digital platform Vimeo in August 2020 with a home-based cast that included Broadway stars Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Andrew Shearer Gehling (Waitress), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) and Laura Osnes (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella).
Angela Thomas
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