Stephen Schwartz’s Tony Award-winning musical Pippin is the latest tuneful production to be revived by the much-acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory.
The coming of age tale is to run at the Southwark venue from 22 November until 25 February.
Pippin is the colourful and darkly humorous tale of the heir to the throne of Charlemagne, who is searching for beauty, glory, fame and magic but has to contend with lust, sex, war, politics and religion.
First staged on Broadway in 1972, where it was choreographed and directed by Bob Fosse, it went on to win five Tony Awards.
This new production, described as ‘high-concept’, is directed by Mitch Sebastian, who also directed The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas, and will incorporate Fosse’s original choreography.
Pippin also marks designer Timothy Bird’s return to the venue, where he previously designed the multi-award-winning production of Sunday In The Park With George, the production which started the venue’s love affair with musical revivals.
Since it staged Sunday In The Park With George in 2005, the intimate theatre has transferred five musicals to the West End – also Little Shop Of Horrors, La Cage Aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Sweet Charity – picked up a clutch of Olivier Awards and sent three productions to Broadway.
Pippin, which is yet to announce any casting, opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory following the run of Terrible Advice, which opens next week. The debut comedy from actor Saul Rubinek is directed by Frank Oz (Star Wars, The Muppets) and stars Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories), Caroline Quentin (Men Behaving Badly, Jonathan Creek) and Sharon Horgan (Pulling).
MA