The Young Vic theatre will host the UK premiere of Kander and Ebb’s provocative musical The Scottsboro Boys later this year.
Described by the Young Vic’s Artistic Director David Lan as “a truly visionary work”, the musical tells the true story of nine young black men who are falsely convicted of rape. Their subsequent trials and appeals, which lasted seven years, divided the nation and had a significant impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
Directed and choreographed by double Olivier Award-winning choreographer and five-time Tony Award-winning director Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys will play from 18 October (press night 29 October) to 23 November at the Waterloo venue.
Written by David Thompson, the final musical created by the team of Kander and Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss Of The Spider Woman) premiered on Broadway in 2010 when it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical, just behind The Book Of Mormon’s 14 nominations.
Talking about the show, Stroman, whose choreographing credits include The Producers, Crazy For You and the National Theatre’s Oklahoma!, said: “I am thrilled David Lan and the Young Vic are bringing The Scottsboro Boys to London audiences. This is a story that needs to be told and remembered. Our hope is The Scottsboro Boys is a way to start the conversation and to carry it forward.”
Featuring songs including Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!, Electric Chair and Shout!, the musical will open at the Young Vic theatre following American Lulu, Olga Neuwirth’s radical reworking of Alban Berg’s opera, which is set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.