Sweet Charity Posts Notices at Haymarket, 6 Nov

The Menier Chocolate Factory’s revival of Broadway musical classic Sweet Charity, starring Tamzin Outhwaite, has posted closing notices at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previously booking until 8 January 2011, it will now finish on 6 November 2010, after a West End run of six months.

Sweet Charity, which has music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a book by Neil Simon, takes a look at the seedy underbelly of 1960s New York. The gullible, enchanting heroine Charity Hope Valentine (Outhwaite) dances, laughs and cries her way through a series of whirlwind romances to show-stopping numbers including “Rhythm of Life”, “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and “Hey Big Spender”.

The production is directed by Matthew White, choreographed by Stephen Mear and designed by Tim Shortall, with costume design by Matthew Wright, musical supervision and direction by Nigel Lilley, orchestrations by Chris Walker, lighting by David Howe and sound design by Gareth Owen. The cast also features Mark Umbers, Josefina Gabrielle, Tiffany Graves and Paul J Medford.

Prior to opening in the West End on 4 May 2010 (previews from 23 April), Sweet Charity had an initial, sell-out Christmas run at the 150-seat Menier in Southwark from on 2 December 2009 (previews from 21 November) to 7 March 2010.

No further productions have yet been announced for the Haymarket, although amongst those rumoured have been transfers of the Chichester Festival revival of Pygmalion, starring Rupert Everett, and the Royal Court’s current premiere of Bruce Norris’ satire Clybourne Park, starring Martin Freeman and Sophie Thompson, as well as a new Trevor Nunn revival of Sondheim musical Follies.