The Young Vic’s Olivier Award nominated production of The Scottsboro Boys will transfer to the West End this autumn, playing a strictly limited season at the Garrick Theatre from 4 October.
Kander and Ebb’s provocative musical, which enjoyed a sold-out run at the Southwark venue last year following a Broadway run in 2010 that resulted in a staggering 12 Tony Award nominations, will play until 21 February 2015 at the venue.
Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, who received two nominations for her work on the musical at this year’s Olivier Awards with MasterCard, The Scottsboro Boys charts the true story of nine young black men wrongly accused of an unspeakable crime. Their subsequent trials and appeals, which lasted seven years, divided the nation and had a powerful impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
The final musical to be created by Cabaret and Chicago creators Kander and Ebb, The Scottsboro Boys features a book by David Thompson and designs by Beowulf Boritt.
After opening at the Young Vic in October 2013, the Critics’ Circle Award-winning production was described by the Evening Standard’s Henry Hitchings as “a daring piece of work that will challenge the convictions of anyone who thinks musical theatre tends to be either splashy and camp or plaintively nostalgic.”
Featuring songs including Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!, Electric Chair and Shout!, The Scottsboro Boys will open at the Garrick Theatre following a similar tale involving a young black man accused of a terrible crime, in this case, the murder of his father. Twelve Angry Men, which features a cast including Robert Vaughn, Jeff Fahey, Tom Conti and William Gaminara, will close on 14 July.
The cast of The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic included Olivier Award nominees Colman Domingo and Kyle Scatliffe. Casting for the forthcoming West End run is still to be announced.