100 years after the first women in Britain were granted the vote, Kate Prince combines dance, hip hop, soul and funk in this modern musical which celebrates the life of Sylvia Pankhurst.
With an all-star cast led by Beverley Knight and Genesis Lynea, Sylvia sheds new light on a remarkable story at the heart of the Suffragette movement: Votes for Women, and a fractured family at a momentous hour in British history.
Co-written by Kate Prince and Priya Parmar with original music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, Sylvia is a modern musical examining the remarkable life of Sylvia Pankhurst, her pivotal role in the campaign for women’s rights – and the price of the passion and politics that went on to tear her family apart.
Lynea (Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park) plays the titular role of Sylvia, with Olivier Award nominee Knight (Memphis The Musical and The Bodyguard, West End) as Emmeline Pankhurst. They are joined by the likes of Olivier winner John Dagleish (Sunny Afternoon, West End) and Carly Bawden (Les Misérables, West End).
Kate Prince is Artistic Director of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, which she founded in 2002. She is an Associate Artist at The Old Vic and at Sadler’s Wells, where ZooNation is a Resident Company. Former ZooNation productions include Into The Hoods, which was the West End’s first hip hop dance show; Some Like It Hip Hop (Peacock Theatre/UK tour), Groove On Down The Road (Southbank Centre), Into The Hoods: Remixed (Sadler’s Wells/UK tour), and West Side Story (nominated for a 2011 Olivier Award).
Opening in The Old Vic’s Bicentenary season, Sylvia’s is an imperative story in British history, told through this eagerly anticipated new musical. Don’t miss it.
Looking to see some musical theatre? Find out more about London musicals.