Theatre News

Green Day Award Winning Broadway Musical’s UK Premiere for Southampton

Green Day’s explosive, Tony award-winning Broadway rock musical American Idiot, is to get its UK premiere in 2012 at The Mayflower, Southampton with a major national tour featuring a thrilling American tour cast, culminating in a run at London’s legendary HMV Hammersmith Apollo.

The story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world, American Idiot, will open at Southampton (October 9 – 13) then tour to Cardiff’s Millennium Centre (October 15 – 20); Edinburgh Playhouse (October 22 – 27); Glasgow Clyde Auditorium (October 29 – November 3); Dublin Grand Canal Theatre (November 5 – 10); Manchester Palace Theatre (November 12 – 24); Birmingham Alexandra Theatre (November 26 – 30); and then London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo (December 3 – 8).

The show features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is by Tony award-winner Mayer (Spring Awakening). Its hit songs include “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown,” and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time.”

“We’re excited to be bringing the US stage production of American Idiot to the UK and Ireland,” said Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. “We played to some of the most insane crowds when we toured the album there, and we can’t wait for our friends across the pond to see the musical.”

Tickets for the Southampton premiere will go on sale 10.00am Friday 9 December.