Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest West End offering, the 1960s-set musical Stephen Ward, has announced it has extended its run at the Aldwych Theatre to 31 May.
Inspired by the Profumo affair, Lloyd Webber’s collaboration with lyricist Don Black and playwright Christopher Hampton opened on 19 December collecting a string of four star reviews, with The Daily Telegraph describing the glamorous production as “funny, touching and highly enjoyable”.
In retelling the infamous 1963 political scandal, the creative team had a host of characters perfectly placed to take their place on stage, from shady politicians and spies to models and aristocrats.
West End regular Alexander Hanson takes the lead as the show’s title character, the man at the centre of events whose friendship with society’s elite, and Christine Keller in particular, led to a tabloid storm and one of the biggest trials of the 20th century.
To complement the morally dubious tale, Stephen Ward features songs with similarly provocative titles including Manipulation, Black-Hearted Woman and Give Us Something Juicy.
Joining Hanson in the current cast is West End regular Joanna Riding, alongside Charlotte Spencer in her first starring role as Keeler and fellow leading cast members Charlotte Blacklegde, Anthony Calf, Daniel Flynn, Ian Conningham, Chris Howell, Ricardo Coke Thomas and Wayne Robinson.
120,000 new tickets are now on sale for the production that had previously been booking until 1 March.