It’s official. School’s out forever for the students at the School Of Rock. The Olivier Award-winning musical based on the Jack Black film has today announced that it will be closing on 1 March 2020 leaving space for something new from the king of the West End.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has today announced that his highly-anticipated Cinderella will be stepping into the shoes of the hit musical at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in September this year. Prior to the opening, the venue will undergo a seat upgrade and further refurbishments.
The brand-new show is a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale based on an original idea from the Emmy Award-nominated writer of Killing Eve, Emerald Fennell.
Andrew Lloyd Webber will be composing the music for Emerald Fennell’s new script with the multi-award-winning and legendary lyricist, David Zippel known for his work on City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White, and Liza at the Palace, as well as Disney films Hercules and Mulan, both of which received Oscar nominations.
Laurence Connor will direct Cinderella with choreography from JoAnn Hunter, who previously partnered on School of Rock as well as last year’s sold-out production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
On the upcoming production, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I have long wanted to write my own version of Cinderella but could never find a take on the classic story that really grabbed me. Emerald Fennell has written something truly exciting and original, and the moment I read her outline I knew I’d found my latest collaborator. I’m very pleased to be working with David Zippel, a hugely witty lyricist, once again.”
So it’s a sad goodbye to the School Of Rock class of 2020 but a very happy hello to Cinderella.