New outdoor production of Pippin to play The Garden Theatre in London

A new outdoor production of the musical Pippin is coming to London.

The show will run September 8 – September 27 at The Garden Theatre at The Eagle in Vauxhall.

The new version, approved by composer Stephen Schwartz, will feature a cast of six made up of Ryan Anderson, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Joanne Clifton, Harry Francis and Dan Krikler.

Tickets are available online here. Face masks or coverings must be worn throughout the performance by socially-distanced audience members.

Director Steven Dexter said: “Pippin originally opened on Broadway in October 1972, however, Stephen Schwartz started writing an early version of the show while a student at Carnegie Mellon University in 1967. Flower power was at its peak, war was raging in Vietnam and Hair opened on Broadway.

“It was the year of the Summer of Love. My take on the show – which I have been lucky to direct twice before at drama schools – is told by a group of hippie travellers.

“A huge thank you to Stephen Schwartz and David Hirson, (son of book writer Roger O. Hirson) for embracing this approach and granting us the rights for a new version of ‘Pippin’ with a cast of six players.”

Alongside Dexter, the creative team features choreographer Nick Winston, musical director Michael Bradley and designer David Shields with casting by Anne Vosser. It is produced by Peter Bull for LAMBCO Productions.

A synopsis of the musical shares:

With an infectiously unforgettable score from four-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner and musical theatre giant, Stephen Schwartz, Pippin is the story of one young man’s journey to be extraordinary.

Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, though, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day.

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

 

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