West End date for Back To The Future The Musical

Olly Dobson and Roger Bart in Back To The Future The Musical. Picture: Sean Ebsworth Barnes

The critic and crowd-pleasing stage musical version of the classic Back To The Future will make its delayed West End debut in May next year.

Following on from its debut run at the Manchester Opera House which was cut short by the Covid-crisis, Back To The Future The Musical will speed into the Adelphi Theatre from 14 May 2021. Tickets are now on sale for performances up to 26 September 2021.

Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, the brainchild of producer Colin Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and the creators of the much-loved time-travelling film series, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, Back To The Musical The Musical received its world premiere in Manchester in March this year. The musical had been due to play a limited 12-week season ending on 17 May before heading for London.

The big screen’s original Doc Brown, Christopher Lloyd has been among the first to welcome the news of the show’s West End debut, commenting: “I’m delighted that Back to the Future The Musical will be up and running in London in mid-May. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the show’s run in Manchester, so I’m excited to finally see it for myself.

“I’ve already heard some of the new songs and met many of the cast members, particularly Roger Bart who plays Doc, so I’m confident the stage version will be exactly what our fans have been hoping for. And, Great Scott – I can’t wait to hear Doc Brown sing!”

It’s time to change musical history…

Get ready for 1.21 gigawatts of pure entertainment as #BackToTheFuture the Musical is headed to London at 88mph – Arriving Summer 2021 at the #AdelphiTheatre!

Book YOUR Tickets Yesterday: https://t.co/1rncfsOCRo ⚡ pic.twitter.com/lHUEZwAw3w

— Back to the Future (@BTTFmusical) September 8, 2020

Featuring a book by Gale and new music and lyrics by the film’s Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, the stage musical also includes songs from the film including Huey Lewis and the News’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Power of Love’.

Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town) heads a creative team that includes the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team of Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Hugh Vansone (lighting), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video). Choreography will be by Chris Bailey, with illusions by Paul Kieve, musical supervision and vocal arrangements by Nick Finlow, orchestrations by Ethan Popp and dance arrangements by David Chase.

Bat Out of Hell and Matilda original cast member Olly Dobson and Tony Award-winning Broadway actor Roger Bart (You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, The Producers, Young Frankenstein) will return as Marty McFly and Doc. Other returning cast members will include: Hugh Coles as George McFly; Rosanna Hyland as Lorraine Baines; Cedric Neal as Goldie Wilson; Aiden Cutler as Biff Tannen; and Courtney-Mae Briggs as Jennifer Parker. Further casting will be announced at a later date.

Announcing the London dates, Gale said: “Bob Zemeckis and I are over the moon to finally be opening Back To The Future The Musical in the West End at the historic Adelphi Theatre, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience our show. I promise, everyone will be delighted with how we’ve translated the movie to the stage.

“We’ve got all your favourite songs from the movie, and over a dozen news ones, brought to life by an incredible cast, along with some ground-breaking stagecraft, which we firmly believe raises the bar for production design and illusion.  You will be convinced that the DeLorean really does go 88 miles per hour! I personally cannot wait to get back to Back To The Future in such a fabulous venue!”

Ingram added: “I’m delighted to announce today that Back To The Future will open next year at one of the foremost theatres in the West End. The response we received from audiences and critics in Manchester for this show was incredible – men and women, young and old, film fans and newbies were all blown away by this heartening, hilarious story set to multi-Grammy winners Silvestri and Ballard’s fantastic new songs, alongside the original classics from the movie. We made Hill Valley sing, dance and laugh and, as one audience member said: ‘This is the new standard of spectacle, I feel like people are going to be talking about this for a long time.’ When the West End reopens, we believe people will want to go back to the theatre, with Back to the Future… Great Scott Marty, just don’t set the DeLorean to March 2020!”

Angela Thomas