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Shockheaded Scares up Second West End Run, 4 Apr

Cultural Industry's "Junk opera" Shockheaded Peter returns to London in 2002 for another limited West End season. The engagement marks the production's fifth major outing in the capital, and its second in the West End after an extended sell-out run at the Piccadilly Theatre last year. The award-winning cult hit re-opens at the Albery Theatre on 4 April and continues to 15 June 2002.

The original cast are joined by David Thomas and Two Pale Boys who bring their own interpretation to the music and lyrics of Martyn Jacques - and a few new surprises from beneath the floorboards.

Shockheaded Peter is based on the gothic stories and illustrations of the "Struwwelpeter", penned in 1844 by a German doctor, Heinrich Hoffman. In it, Peter and his unruly band of wicked youths present a series of cautionary tales in the fashion of an eerie variety show of illusions, puppetry and music - all set against pop-up, musical-box modern staging.

The show, a Cultural Industry Project originally produced in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Lyric Hammersmith, premiered in Leeds in March 1998. Since then it has had numerous sell-out runs in London and toured the UK and internationally to Europe, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong.

Shockheaded Peter is created and performed by Julian Bleach, Anthony Cairns, Graeme Gilmour, Tamzin Griffin and Jo Pocock. It is directed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch and designed by Crouch and Gilmour. Music is care of The Tiger Lillies (Adrian Hughes, Martyn Jacques and Adrian Stout) with musical direction by Jacques.

The show’s many accolades include the 1998 Barclays/TMA Best Director award for McDermott and Crouch and the 1999 Critics Circle Best Design award for Crouch and Gilmour. The show was also nominated for the 1999 South Bank Show theatre award.

- by Terri Paddock

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