New musical Identical based on The Parent Trap comes to Nottingham Playhouse in July 2022

New British musical Identical has will hold its world premiere at Nottingham Playhouse in July 2022.

The show is based on Erich Kästner’s novel The Parent Trap which also inspired the hit Disney films of the same name.

The new musical has been adapted by Stuart Paterson with music and lyrics from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, the musical tells the story of twin girls who were separated at birth when their parents divorced. After a chance reunion, they hatch a plan for each to meet the parent they have never met by exchanging identities.

After a two-year-long postponement due to the pandemic, the musical will finally get its premiere from Tuesday, 26 July through to Sunday, 14 August 2022. Tickets are on sale here. The production will then transfer to The Lowry in Salford from 19 August to 3 September 2022 with further plans to be announced.

The lead roles of twins Lottie and Lisa will be shared by three sets of identical twins: Kyla and Nicole Fox from County Armagh, Northern Ireland; Emme and Eden Patrick from Waltham Abbey; and Sienna and Savannah Robinson from Bromley.

They’ll be joined by Emily Tierney as Lisalotte, James Darch as Johan, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as Miss Gerlach, Louise Gold as Roza/Miss Muthesuis and Michael Smith-Stewart as Dr Strobl.

Completing the company are Rico Bakker, David Bardsley, Hannah Cauchi, Paige Fenlon, Rosie Glossop, Dominic Adam Griffin, Jordan Isaac, Rutendo Mushonga and Ellie Nunn.

Producer Kenny Wax said: “Identical is a story about the reuniting of twins separated shortly after birth and the healing of a family which has been fractured.

“The narrative offers a powerful message for the world right now and under the directorial genius of Trevor Nunn, I have no doubt that Identical will be regarded as one of the great musicals of its generation…..providing that we can consistently cast incredibly talented identical twins!”

Stiles and Drewe added: “It’s been a delight to adapt Erich Kästner’s hauntingly beautiful and timeless tale of two identical twins separated as babies, and their wily determination to stitch their family back together. It’s a story packed with wonderful humour and characters which makes it a great canvas to become a musical and retell for a 21st-century audience.”