Theatre News

”Oklahoma!” to transfer to the West End

Alex Wood

25 August 2022

Oh, what a beautiful morning – Oklahoma! is coming to the West End.

Daniel Fish’s Tony Award-winning production was first seen on UK shores at the Young Vic earlier this summer, where it played to sell-out audiences and five-star reviews. WhatsOnStage’s own Sarah Crompton described it as “a dark version of Oklahoma! but also supremely funny and life-enhancing” in her glowing write-up, which you can read here.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s seminal piece, which includes numbers such as “Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'”, “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” and, of course, “Oklahoma”, is reimagined in Fish’s revival for the 21st century. It tells the story of “a community banding together against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America.” The musical is based on Lynn Riggs’ play Green Grow the Lilacs.

The show has orchestrations, arrangements and co-music supervision by Daniel Kluger, while the creative team will include choreographer John Heginbotham, scenic designers Laura Jellinek and Grace Laubacher, costume designer Terese Wadden, lighting designer Scott Zielinski, sound designer Drew Levy, projection designer Joshua Thorson and co-music supervision and additional vocal arrangements by Nathan Koci.

Producers Eva Price, Sonia Friedman and Michael Harrison (presenting the show in association with the Young Vic) said today: “Very occasionally a production comes along that redefines a classic musical for a generation – Daniel Fish’s revelatory reimagining of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterpiece Oklahoma! will be forever stamped in the memories of those that see it.

“After a hugely successful sold-out run at the Young Vic, we’re thrilled to transfer Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! to the West End in its 80th anniversary year and bring the production to the wider UK audience it deserves.”

Dates, casting and further creatives are to be revealed, with the show set to run at the Wyndham’s Theatre from February 2023.