Theatre News

New musical Lift premieres as part of Soho’s spring season

16 October 2012

Soho Theatre has announced its spring 2013 season, with highlights including the return of the London International Mime Festival and the premiere of new musical Lift, continuing the venue’s commitment to new musical theatre.

As well as theatre, the Soho’s programme of comedy will include the Foster’s season, presenting the winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Newcomer Award Daniel Simonsen, plus nominees David Trent, Joe Lycett and Sam Fletcher.

There will also be a four-week run from Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Doctor Brown, and a new stand up show from Alexei Sayle.

The season opens in the main house with the London International Mime Festival (16-26 January 2013), which returns for its second year at Soho. This year’s programme features Blind Summit’s The Heads, which promises “a cascade of imagery inspired by Cubism, McCarthyism and Catholicism”, and Invisible Thread’s Les Hommes Vides, a “20 minute low-tech, charming, eerie and comic performance of slapstick and surreal table-top puppetry and object theatre.”

It’s followed by the premiere of Lift (30 January to 24 February), a new musical with music and lyrics by Craig Adams and a book by Ian Watson. Directed by Steven Paling, the project has been developed through Perfect Pitch and is presented by Theatre Bench in association with Ros Povey.

Lift is set at Covent Garden tube station on an ordinary morning, exploring the thoughts of eight people and “revealing their innermost secrets”. Casting to be announced soon – visit www.liftmusical.com for more information.

The show follows the premiere of Stiles and Drewe’s new musical Soho Cinders at the venue earlier this year.

Elsewhere in the new season, Soho Young Writers Award winner Charlotte Josephine‘s Bitch Boxer, centring on the fact that 2012 saw women compete in boxing at the Olympics for the first time in history, will run in the Soho Upstairs from 19 February to 9 March. The Upstairs will also host Luke Barnes‘ Bottleneck and the Fringe First-winning Dirty Great Love Story (12-30 March).

And Arinze Kene‘s God’s Property, a co-production with Talawa and the Albany, will premiere in the main house from 26 February to 2 March 2013.

Speaking to Whatsonstage.com, artistic director Steve Marmion said: “I’m delighted to be announcing another packed season at Soho Theatre, which will see some of the most exciting artists we work with on our stages.

“It’s fantastic after having had Arinze Kene in residence to be able to bring his new play God’s Property to the main house. And to welcome back Doctor Brown who we have worked with on his past three shows and has had an incredible 2012 winning three major awards across theatre and comedy.

“Plus my favourite theatre shows from Edinburgh, a new musical, London International Mime Festival, a season of the Foster’s Comedy nominees, Alexei Sayle’s first solo show in 16 years and all the bagels you can eat in our bar.”