Starlight Express revival extends London run after one day of pre-sale

After just one day of pre-sale, producer Michael Harrison has made the decision to extend the booking period for the upcoming London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express due to overwhelming demand.

Harrison commented: “Starlight Express is one of the most iconic musicals of the last 40 years, and I am thrilled that our new production has captured the imaginations of all ages all over again. From yesterday’s presale alone, we are today immediately extending our booking period through to 16 February 2025. It’s always been the fastest show on earth…now it’s the fastest extension in theatre history!”

The show had previously been taking bookings up to October 2024 and the general on-sale begins tomorrow, 9 November.

The musical, which features music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, is about a child’s train set that comes to life and competes to become the fastest engine in the world. The actors famously perform on rollerskates, and the original choreography was by Arlene Phillips. It opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984, and closed in 2002. It has been running in Bochum, Germany for over 30 years, and has been seen by more than 20 million people.

Luke Sheppard (The Little Big Things) directs, while Tim Hatley (Back to the Future) will be designing the sets, with Gabriella Slade (Six) on costume design and Phillips part of the creative team, alongside video designer Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi), lighting designer Howard Hudson (& Juliet) and sound designer Gareth Owen (MJ the Musical) with new orchestrations and musical supervision by Matthew Brind. It has new choreography by Ashley Nottingham (Pacific Overtures).

The production is set to feature a cast of 40, expected to “whizz around and above” the audience. Spectators are able to sit either around and inside the “racing track”, or behind the performance space on a more conventional rake.

Performances begin at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on 8 June 2024.

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