Simply Heavenly
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Extensions: Fountain’s Addict & Simply Heavenly

The Young Vic’s Whatsonstage.com and Olivier Award-nominated production of Simply Heavenly has extended its West End booking period by more than three months. The Langston Hughes’ musical revival, first seen at the Young Vic in spring 2003, opened at the Trafalgar Studios on 25 October 2004 (previews 15 October) and had been booking until 5 March 2005. It is now taking bookings up to 16 July 2005.

Christopher Colquhoun (Five Guys Named Moe, Ain’t Misbehavin’, currently in TV’s Casualty) has taken over from Rhashan Stone as Jesse B Semple, an offbeat Harlem everyman who indulges in the blues and bar-room philosophies with his friends at Paddy’s. After a Christmas break, Whatsonstage.com Award nominees Clive Rowe and Ruby Turner have now returned to their roles as Melon and Miss Mamie.

Simply Heavenly is directed by Josette Bushell-Mingo, choreographed by Paul J Medford and designed by Rob Howell, with lighting by Paul Anderson and sound by Nick Lidster. In the 2005 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards, the production has been nominated for Best Musical Revival as well as Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Rowe and Turner, respectively (click here to vote now).

Meanwhile, at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Tim Fountain’s continually controversial Sex Addict has added an extra week to its season. Following its premiere at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, it opened on 10 January 2005 (previews from 7 January) at the Royal Court where it’s now booking to 5 February.

In the one-man show, author and performer Fountain seeks to add to the 5,048 men, one lesbian and a gothic Norwegian hairdresser he’s slept with to date by trawling the internet for dates and reporting back nightly to audiences (See News, 8 Dec 2004). Since the start of the London season, Fountain has taken audiences along to witness a public sex act in Sloane Square and a hoax gay orgy, amongst other eyebrow-raising antics (See The Goss, 12 Jan 2005).

- by Terri Paddock

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