Will Young will make his West End debut in a revival of Rufus Norris’ Olivier Award-winning production Cabaret this autumn, starring as Emcee at the Savoy theatre from 3 October.
The iconic musical, which was immortalised in the famous 1972 film starring Liza Minnelli after its Broadway premiere in 1966, returns to London following an acclaimed two year run at the Lyric theatre, which featured an award-winning performance by Sheila Hancock.
Based on Christopher Isherwood’s book I Am A Camera, the dark production is set during the Nazis’ rise to power in 1931 Berlin and centres on the relationship between a 19-year-old English cabaret star Sally Bowles and a young American writer Cliff Bradshaw.
Set at the now infamous flamboyant Kit Kat Klub, the musical features music by John Kander and Fred Ebb including songs Money Makes The World Go Around, Two Ladies and Maybe This Time.
Pop star Young, who has sold over nine million albums after winning the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2002, will star as the enigmatic Emcee of the seedy club. While this marks his London stage debut, Young made his theatrical debut in 2007 at the Manchester Exchange theatre starring in Noël Coward’s The Vortex and previously appeared in the film Miss Henderson Presents.
Young said: “I am very excited about the challenge of choosing Cabaret as my first musical theatre role. The role of the Emcee is a part I have wanted to play since before I started training at Arts Education in Chiswick when I first moved to London. I have spent the last 10 years singing, dancing and acting all separately. For the first time I get to do all three in one show.”
Joining London Road director Norris in the creative team is the choreographer Javier De Frutos, whose most recent work saw him collaborate with The Pet Shop Boys to create the Sadler’s Wells production The Most Incredible Thing.
Cabaret will play a strictly limited season at the Savoy theatre following a UK tour prior to its West End run.