Hedley Vows to Get Big Life Transfer???Date: 21 February 2005When presented last night’s Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance in an Affiliate Theatre (See Today’s News), Philip Hedley – who stepped down this past autumn as artistic director of Theatre Royal Stratford East (See News, 10 Sep 2004) – vowed to secure the much talked about transfer for ska musical The Big Life. “It is going to the West End if it’s the last thing I do,” he told the industry audience. The show has returned home for a limited stint this month but, though no West End venue has yet been confirmed, hopes to come into town later this year (See The Goss, 26 Nov 2004). If and when it does, The Big Life would be the West End’s first black British musical. While Stratford East took Five Guys Named Moe to the West End in 1992 for a successful run, that show was based on the music of American Louis Jordan. The Big Life has an original score by Paul Joseph, lead singer of British reggae band Nazarites (See News, 8 Apr 2004). Related Content |
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