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Nunn’s Porgy & Bess Posts Early Closing Notices

Trevor Nunn’s musical adaptation of the Gershwins’ classic jazz opera Porgy and Bess has posted closing notices at the West End’s Savoy Theatre, where it will make way for the Sheffield Crucible transfer of Fiddler on the Roof (See Today’s Other News). Shortly after opening on 9 November 2006 (previews from 25 October), Porgy and Bess extended its booking period by seven month to 27 October 2007 (See News, 29 Nov 2006). It is now due to close on 5 May 2007 after a run of six months.

The new two-and-a-half hour musical version of the opera stars Clarke Peters and Nicola Hughes in the title roles, leading a 40-strong cast that also features Cornell John (as Crown), Dawn Hope (Serena) and OT Fagbenle (Sportin’ Life). The new musical has a score specially adapted by Gareth Valentine.

Originally a novel by DuBose Heyward, Porgy and Bess is set in 1912 South Carolina, around Charleston's Catfish Row, and centres on cripple Porgy who offers shelter to Bess, recently broken free from her brutish lover.

Heyward collaborated with George and Ira Gershwin to create the jazz opera – featuring now-classic songs such as "Summertime", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Necessarily So" – which premiered in 1935 and was made into a 1959 screen version starred Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge. In 1986, Trevor Nunn previously directed the opera at Glyndebourne with Willard White and Cynthia Haymon.

The £3 million production is directed by Nunn – who won this year’s Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Director for his work on the musical as well as Tom Stoppard’s play Rock 'n' Roll - and designed by John Gunter. It’s presented by Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and Tulbart Productions. Amongst its other accolades, Porgy and Bess was nominated, controversially, for Best New Musical in this year’s Olivier Awards.

Following Porgy and Bess into the Savoy from 29 May 2007 (previews from 19 May) is Sheffield Theatre’s Henry Goodman-headed revival of Fiddler on the Roof (See Today’s Other News).

- Caroline Ansdell

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