Theatre News

Le Gateau Chocolat and Lucy McCormick among cast of Gate Theatre's Effigies of Wickedness

The piece is based on songs banned by the Nazis

Gateau Chocolat
Gateau Chocolat
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

The cast has been announced for the upcoming Gate Theatre and English National Opera co-production of Effigies of Wickedness.

The cast is composed of Peter Brathwaite (Captain Blood's Revenge, Glyndebourne), Katie Bray (Hansel and Gretel, Opera North), Le Gateau Chocolat – George Ikediashi (La Soirée, Twelfth Night) and Lucy McCormick (Collective Rage, Triple Threat). Mixing cabaret performers and operatic singers, the show revives censored songs from the Weimar cabaret scene that would have been lost due to Nazi actions in the 1930s and 1940s.

Ellen McDougall directs the piece, which runs at the Gate in May. How to Win Against History's Seiriol Davies provides lyrics from the literal translations by David Tushingham. It also has design by Ellan Parry, arrangement by Corin Buckeridge, dramaturgy by Chris Green, movement direction by Malik Nashad Sharpe, lighting design by Azusa Ono and sound design by Dan Balfour.

McDougall said: "It has been enormously exciting to make a collaboration with ENO, an organisation over 30 times our size, and whose artistic director Daniel Kramer previously directed groundbreaking productions of Hair and Woyzeck for the Gate. Working together means we can make a production of much bigger scope – including a live, four-piece band and four incredibly talented performers."

Effigies of Wickedness runs from 14 May to 2 June with previews from 3 May.