New version of Martin Guerre to premiere in London this autumn

A new version of Martin Guerre will open in London this autumn.

Martin Guerre is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, creators of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.

Set in 16th-century rural France, it tells the story of a young peasant woman, Bertrande, whose husband Martin abandons her and their village. Years later, a man claiming to be Martin returns, transformed into a kinder and more loving partner.

It premiered in 1996 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, later undergoing several major revisions.

It will now run in a semi-staged format at the Old Vic, directed by Matthew Warchus and opening in October – with dates and casting to be revealed. It will be running for a limited five-week engagement.

Warchus said today: “As my penultimate show, I’m very excited to be sharing an all-new version of Boublil and Schönberg’s extraordinary musical, the creation of which has been many years in the making. The show has been radically reworked, featuring new lyrics, new folk-inflected orchestrations and an immersive in-the-round staging.”

New lyrics are by Boublil, Annabel Mutale Reed and Paul Hodge, while the lyrics are by Boublil and Stephen Clark. Original French lyrics are by Boublil, with additional material by Hodge. The production is developed and directed by Matthew Warchus, with set and costume design by Rob Howell, choreography by Lizzi Gee, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, Luca Panetta and Toby Ison, sound design by Fergus O’Hare, orchestrations by Tom Curran, musical supervision by Chris Poon, and casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting.