Southwark Playhouse to live-stream new musical starring Rosalie Craig and Hadley Fraser from theatre

Southwark Playhouse has revealed plans to live stream new musical Before After from its venue next month.

The piece, which has music and lyrics by Stuart Matthew Price and book and additional lyrics by Timothy Knapman, follows a couple, Ami and Ben, who remember their lives together very differently.

The show is set to star Rosalie Craig (Company) and Hadley Fraser (City of Angels) and will be performed in The Little via live stream only with no live audience for a limited run of three performances on 25 and 26 September 2020.

It has direction by Matthew Rankcom and musical direction by Charlie Ingles. Tickets are ten pounds if bought before the week of performances.

Director Matthew Rankcom says: "There is such uncertainty for our industry at the moment, so we're trying to explore how theatre can adapt to become more accessible and viable in the current climate. By streaming this rehearsed reading in real time, we hope to re-capture some of the magic of live theatre and allow our actors and their audience to forge a new kind of connection."

Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years is also set to be performed live (with an audience!) with social distancing measures in place at the venue from 1 to 31 October. Brown's cult classic musical was first seen in 2001 and ran off-Broadway in 2002. It was turned into a film in 2014 starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. It follows a five-year relationship between two lovers – Jamie and Cathy – but is told in reverse chronological order for one of the pair.

The creative team includes choreographer Sam Spencer-Lane, set and costume designer Lee Newby, lighting designer Jamie Platt and sound designer Adam Fisher. Musical direction and orchestration are by George Dyer. The pair of performers will be accompanied by a four-piece band led by Dyer.

The piece initially ran at the venue earlier this year and received the full five stars from WhatsOnStage.