Simply Heavenly's Second Chance for Transfer???

The Young Vic's revival of Langston Hughes' 1957 Harlem-based musical comedy Simply Heavenly may yet receive its West End transfer (See The Goss, 28 May & 20 Mar 2003). The move looked highly likely when the show - then starring Rhashan Stone, Clive Rowe, Ruby Turner, Nicola Hughes and Jason Pennycooke - opened to rave reviews in March 2003, but the unavailability of a suitable West End venue, not to mention the pregnancy of director Josette Bushell-Mingo, threw some spanners in the works. Not one to give up easily, artistic director David Lan even considered reprising the sell-out hit back at the Young Vic before scheduling conflicts put paid to that. Now, with Bushell-Mingo's childbearing out of the way, a full transfer is now back on the table and looking likely for spring 2004. Several venues are being considered. Although The Venue - formerly home to Boy George's Taboo and the short-lived Money to Burn - has been ruled out as too small, other possibilities are the Piccadilly, Haymarket and Whitehall Theatres. Simply Heavenly has just been for Best Musical in this year's Evening Standard awards (See News, 4 Nov 2003).

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