Starlight Express to be shown in cinemas next month

Starlight Express will be released in cinemas next month.

Filmed live at the purpose-built Starlight Auditorium at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, the screen version captures Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe’s musical with a cast of 40 performers on roller skates.

The production follows Rusty, a steam train who enters a race to become the fastest engine in the world. Facing little chance of success, he finds inspiration in the legend of the Starlight Express. Luke Sheppard’s recent revival won seven WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best Musical Revival and Best Professional Debut for Jeevan Braich.

Braich plays Rusty, joined by Jade Marvin as Momma McCoy, Olivia Ringrose as Greaseball, Asher Forth as Electra, Sophie Naglik as Pearl, Georgia Pemberton as Dinah and Jaydon Vijn as Hydra.

The cast also includes Amber Weston, Amiyah Goodall, Ashley Rowe, Bethany Rose Lythgoe, Charles Butcher, Charlie Russell, Christopher Azzopardi, Cletus Chan, Dante Hutchinson, Dieuwke Tonissen, Evan Taylor-Benyacar, Hannah Kiss, Hattie Leddington Wright, Isaac Edwards, Iwan James, Jake Mickleburgh, Jamie Addison, Jamie Cruttenden, Jessie Angell, Kelly Downing, Lara Vina Uzcatia, Lewis Kidd, Lucy Glover, Maddy Erzan-Essien, Mila Isaacs, Nicky Wong Rush, Nicole Louise-Lewis, Ollie Augustin, RED, Sam Gallacher, Scott Hayward, Sheridan, Tamara Verhoven Clyde and Temi Olawole.

You can watch the trailer below:

Starlight Express premiered at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984, where it played until 2002. It has also been running in Bochum, Germany for over 30 years, and has been seen by more than 20 million people. The original choreography was by Arlene Phillips, who returned for the new production as creative dramaturg alongside choreographer Ashley Nottingham.

Luke Sheppard directs the new production, while the creative team features set designer Tim Hatley, costume designer Gabriella Slade, lighting designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Gareth Owen, video designer Andrzej Goulding, new orchestrations by Matthew Brind and Lloyd Webber, musical supervision by Matthew Brind and David Wilson, musical direction by Laura Bangay and casting by Pearson Casting.

Audience members in Wembley Park were able to sit either around and inside the “racing track”, or behind the performance space on a more conventional rake.

Starlight Express will be screened in cinemas internationally, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and Canada, from 26 November for a limited time only.

The stage show will also be hitting the road on a new tour next year.