Theatre News

Tony-winning musical In the Heights gets London premiere at Southwark Playhouse

The production, directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography by Drew McOnie, opens in The Large in May

Broadway musical In the Heights, which won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical and was nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, will receive its London premiere at Southwark Playhouse from 15 May 2014 (previews from 9 May).

The show, which features music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, is billed as "an exhilarating journey into Washington Heights, one of Manhattan's most vibrant communities".

The Southwark production will be directed by Luke Sheppard (Jet Set Go!) with choreography by Drew McOnie, whose recent show Drunk features in Sunday's WhatsOnStage Awards Concert.

Musical supervision is by Tom Deering and lighting design by Howard Hudson. Casting is still to be announced.

Southwark Playhouse artistic director Chris Smyrnios said: "In the Heights is a celebration of community and identity, but it is also a chronicle of the challenges facing a neighbourhood on the cusp of change.

"With Southwark Playhouse sitting at the heart of a passionate community faced with significant redevelopment, it's an inspiring place to be debuting a new production of this bold piece."

In the Heights is produced by Runaway Entertainment Ltd and Paul Taylor Mills Ltd, and presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.