We’ve got some great news for the hopeless romantics out there! It was announced today that SLEEPLESS, A Musical Romance, based on the original screenplay Sleepless in Seattle, will premiere at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, London on Tuesday 1 September 2020, with previews from 25 August.
The limited season will run until Sunday 27 September 2020 and performances will begin pending Government guidance. Audiences will be socially distanced and the producers and venue will follow COVID-secure guidelines for cast, crew and audiences.
The producers will also host a special NHS Gala, A Night for Sleepless Heroes, for NHS and Care workers on Thursday 27 August. Each key worker will be allowed up to four free tickets per application with a scanned NHS badge/pass on a first-come, first-served basis.
The new musical will star Jay McGuinness (as Sam) and Kimberley Walsh (as Annie) and will feature a 12-piece jazz orchestra. It was originally due to begin performances on 24 March 2020, prior to the UK Government shutdown of theatres.
Jay McGuiness, Kimberley Walsh and Theo Collis. Photo credit: Matt Crockett
Michael Rose, producer of SLEEPLESS, on behalf of Encore Theatre Productions, said, “Lockdown has effected and frightened a huge number of people in this country – particularly in our industry. Our story in Sleepless deals with mending something that is broken – it’s about putting a family back together after a loss – and we feel it’s time to do exactly that – it’s time to start the healing process – that’s part of what we do in Theatre.”
Sleepless In Seattle is a classic screenplay rom-com and we can’t wait to see this played out on the stages in an enchanting new romantic musical comedy. The heart-warming story follows Sam, who moves to Seattle with his ten-year-old son, Jonah, following the tragic death of his wife. Jonah phones a radio show which leads to Sam talking about his broken heart and sleepless nights live on air. He suddenly finds himself one of the most sought after single men in America and a great news story for journalist Annie on the opposite side of the country. Will Jonah bring the two together on the top deck of the Empire State Building? We can’t wait to find out in this timeless tale.
Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre said, “Our first priority is and always has been the safety and comfort of our audiences, staff and visiting companies. We are working closely with health and safety experts and strictly following all government guidelines and we look forward to welcoming audiences to the world premiere of Sleepless whenever this is allowed.”
The spacious venue means that there will be no physical contact between the staff and audience at any time and that social distance measures can be strictly obeyed. Audiences will be temperature checked on entering the building and will be required to wear face masks. All food and beverage orders will be contactless to minimise exposure, hand sanitiser will be available at multiple locations, and all areas of the venue will be thoroughly deep cleaned after each performance.
All cast, crew and audience will be sent the most up-to-date safety measures and instructions 48-hours prior to arrival and the venue will be set-up accordingly to accommodate these measures.
As well as Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre being a new and spacious theatre, there is plenty of parking available at Wembley Stadium, which costs only £1 if you are a theatre ticket holder.
Tickets will be on sale at Official London Theatre very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement!