The recent revival of Tony Kushner’s acclaimed musical Caroline, Or Change, which stars Sharon D Clarke, will transfer to the West End in November.
Having only opened in London earlier this week, making the move from Chichester Festival Theatre to the Hampstead Theatre, Caroline, Or Change has announced it will begin West End previews at the Playhouse Theatre on 20 November. The production stars Olivier Award-winning actress Sharon D. Clarke as Caroline Thibodeaux, a role which she will reprise in the transfer.
Caroline, Or Change is set in 1963 Louisiana, where revolution is in the air. But this less so the case for Caroline, a poorly paid maid toiling endlessly in the sweltering basement of the Gellman household.
But Caroline makes the world into a fantastical, magical place, amidst the piles of laundry and singing washing machines, especially for eight-year-old Noah Gellman, who sneaks downstairs to see her whenever he can. Yet a simple gesture to leave more money in Caroline’s pocket is about to test who and how far the winds of change can ever really reach…
Me’sha Bryan (The Washing Machine) and Sharon D Clarke in Caroline, Or Change (Photo: Alastair Muir)
Winner of the 2007 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, Caroline, Or Change is a playful, funny, and deeply moving portrait of America at a time of momentous social upheaval, set to an uplifting and profound score of soul, blues, classical and traditional Jewish folk music.
Partly inspired by his own boyhood, this celebrated musical comes from the pen of Kushner, author of Angels In America, and features a soaring score from the Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home). This revival of Caroline, Or Change is directed by Michael Longhurst (Amadeus, National; Constellations, Royal Court/West End). Further casting is to be announced in due course.
When OfficialLondonTheatre.com saw the show earlier this week, we hailed it “one of the must-see musicals of the season” – and if they can’t do so at the Hampstead, London theatregoers will have another chance to catch Caroline, Or Change at the Playhouse Theatre from 20 November to 9 February 2019.