Groundhog Day, the new musical from Matilda The Musical’s Tim Minchin and Matthew Warchus, will open at The Old Vic on 16 August, following previews from 11 July.
Priority tickets are on sale today through The Old Vic. Tickets will go on public sale on Tuesday 12 April.
With music and lyrics by Minchin, direction by Warchus and a book by Danny Rubin, the co-screenwriter of the film in which the musical is based, Groundhog Day tells the story of a weatherman caught in a time loop. Sent to report on a small town’s Groundhog Day celebration, Phil Connors finds himself living the same 24 hours over and over. With the repetitious cycle making Phil increasingly despondent, will he be able to learn the lessons of his experience that might set him free?
On The Old Vic stage, the weatherman role, made famous on screen by Bill Murray, will be played by Andy Karl. The US performer has been Tony-nominated for both the title role in the musical adaptation of another film hit, Rocky, and for his leading role opposite Kristin Chenoweth in On The Twentieth Century.
The eagerly awaited production also reunites Minchin and Warchus with more of Matilda’s team, including choreographer Peter Darling, designer Rob Howell, orchestrator Christopher Nightingale, lighting designer Hugh Vanstone, sound designer Simon Baker and illusionist Paul Kieve.
The new musical, for which full casting is yet to be revealed, will run at The Old Vic until 17 September. It follows current Ralph Fiennes-led hit The Master Builder, Timothy Spall’s stage return in The Caretaker and Olivier Award-nominated choreographer Drew McOnie’s dance version of Jekyll And Hyde.