Laurence Olivier Award-winning jazz musical Five Guys Named Moe will return to its original home later this year, when it opens at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on 7 September.
The show, which premiered at the East London venue in 1990, will star its creator and star of The Wire Clarke Peters as Nomax, a broke, newly-single man who finds solace in the show’s eponymous quintet who emerge from his 1930s-style radio to comfort and cajole him with the hits of jazz legend Louis Jordan.
Peters, who played Lester Freamon hit American series The Wire and was last seen in London playing Porgy in Porgy And Bess, commented: “I am over the moon that 20 years on Five Guys still has the power to excite people with expectation. There are fond memories for those who ‘partayed’ with us before and joyful curiosity for those who didn’t. I don’t think they will be disappointed. I’m excited it’s happening.”
Peters is joined in this revival, which is directed by Paulette Randall and will play at the Edinburgh Festival before transferring to London, by Ashley Campbell (Little Moe), Chris Colquhoun (Big Moe), Carlton Connell (Four Eyed Moe), Paul Hazel (Eat Moe) and Horace Oliver (No Moe). Original cast member Paul J Medford, who can currently be seen in West End musical Sweet Charity, provides the choreography.
Speaking about the production, Kerry Michael, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East said: “20 years on people still talk about how fantastic the show was and once this revival hits the stage I’m sure they’ll continue to talk about it for many more years to come.”
MA