”Winnie the Pooh” musical announces London and tour dates for 2023

Tour dates and a London run for Disney’s Winnie the Pooh musical have been announced.

The show, which features all the classic characters from the Hundred Acre Wood and tells an original story, has music by The Sherman Brothers with additional songs by A A Milne. It is created and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller.

Jake Bazel (Sesame Street), who originated the role of Pooh on Broadway, is set to lead the show, with additional casting and creative team members to be announced.

Tunes in the show (which also has an original score by Nate Edmundson) include well-known classics from Pooh films, including “Winnie the Pooh”, “The Blustery Day”, “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers” and “Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce”.

The production will begin preview performances at London’s Riverside Studios in Hammersmith on 17 March, and an official opening on 26 March. It will then tour the UK and Ireland until September 2023, visiting Southampton, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Sheffield, Brighton, Nottingham, Richmond, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, York, Cardiff, Newcastle, Guildford, Blackpool, Canterbury, Southend, High Wycombe and Cheltenham. Further tour dates are to be announced.

The musical opened at Theatre Row in New York in 2021, where it broke theatre box office records for the largest advance. Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation is presented by Rockefeller Productions, in partnership with ROYO, and in association with Disney Theatrical Productions.

Tickets for the London run go on sale on 7 November, with select tour dates