Sheffield Crucible's Show Boat transfers to West End

Show Boat opened at the Sheffield Crucible in December last year – you can read our review here – and will transfer to the New London Theatre, replacing War Horse, on 25 April with previews from 9 April 2016.

The epic musical, which features music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, follows the lives and loves of three generations aboard a show boat as it plies the Mississippi River.

The score features classics including "Make Believe", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "Ol' Man River".

On the transfer, Evans said: "Show Boat is often thought to be the mother of all musicals. Hammerstein and Kern's score continues to blow audiences away, almost 90 years later. As well as being a riveting story, the piece’s themes of family and freedom still speak to us today in a profound way. I feel proud that the production we made in Sheffield will now get to travel further afield and be experienced by yet more audiences in the capital."

With choreography from Alistair David, designs by Lez Brotherson and musical supervision and direction by David White, Evans' production is currently booking to 7 January 2017. Casting for the West End production is yet to be announced.

Watch our footage from the opening night of Show Boat at the Crucible last year: