Picture: Matt Crockett
The full creative team has been unveiled for the upcoming West End transfer of Menier Chocolate Factory’s critically acclaimed revival of Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan’s classic musical The Producers.
Tony Award-winner Patrick Marber will return as director, heading a creative team that also includes Broadway choreographer Lorin Latarro, set designer Scott Pask, costume designer Paul Farnsworth, lighting designer Tim Lutkin, sound designer Paul Groothius, with wigs, hair and make-up design by Betty Martini, musical supervision and dance arrangement by Gareth Valentine, musical direction by Matthew Samer and orchestrations by Larry Blank and Mark Cumberland. The team also includes associate director Lily Dyble, associate choreographer (US) Michaeljon Slinger, associate choreographer (UK) Anna Woodside, assistant director John Reddel and resident director Matt Gillett.
The production which completed its sold-out debut run at the south London venue on 1 March, is due to begin performances at the Garrick Theatre on 30 August ahead of an opening night on 15 September. The transfer run is currently booking up to 21 February 2026.
As previously announced, the West End season will feature a number of stars from the original Menier production including Andy Nyman (Assassins/Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory, Hello, Dolly!, London Palladium) as Max Bialystock, Marc Antolin (I Wish You Well, Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Criterion Theatre, The Music Man, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Leo Bloom, Trevor Ashley (Les Misérables, Hairspray!) as Roger de Bris, Raj Ghatak (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sheffield Theatres, The Kite Runner, UK tour) as Cermen Ghia, Harry Morrison (Beetlejuice, international tour, The Third Man/Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Franz Liebkind and Joanna Woodward (The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical, Apollo Theatre, Merrily We Roll Along, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Ulla. The full cast will be announced at a later date.
Looking ahead to the production’s West End debut, director Marber said: “It has been a great joy to direct this new production of The Producers. Mel Brooks is one of my all-time heroes and in this musical the range of his genius is extraordinary; what mighty characters, what jokes, what songs and lyrics! What flair to find the place where the funny and the offensive meet in delight. It has been such a pleasure to do the show with Andy, Marc and our incredible cast and creative team. I’m thrilled we can now do it all again at the beautiful Garrick Theatre where I hope our production will be even bigger, louder and funnier.”
Producer Nica Burns added: “It is an absolute joy to welcome Patrick Marber’s hilarious, pitch perfect production to the Garrick Theatre. Patrick has assembled a top notch cast and creative team finding every single joke and comedy moment in Mel Brooks’ sublime, much-loved musical. You’ll enjoy the most gloriously entertaining night. Absolutely not to be missed.”
Based on the much-loved Oscar-winning film which was written by Brooks and starred his regular collaborator the legendary Gene Wilder, The Producers musical debuted on Broadway in 2001.
With a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks, the show won 12 Tony awards. Nathan Lane who gave a Tony Award-winning performance alongside Tony-nominated Matthew Broderick in the original production would later head over the Atlantic to appear in the show’s West End debut with comedian Lee Evans in 2005. The production collected three Olivier awards including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Lane.
Angela Thomas
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