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”The Secret Life of Bees” musical – meet the cast in rehearsals

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7 April 2023

Rachel John and director Whitney White
© WhatsOnStage

The UK premiere of Lynn Nottage, Duncan Sheik and Susan Birkenhead’s musical adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees begins preview performances at London’s Almeida Theatre tomorrow for a limited run through to 27 May.

We recently visited the cast in rehearsals to find out more about the piece, based on Sue Monk Kidd’s best-selling 2001 novel, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2019 featuring a cast that included Saycon Sengbloh and LaChanze.

Rachel John (who plays August), Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Lily) and Abiona Omonua (Rosaleen), alongside director Whitney White, discuss community, female friendship and empowerment, lashings of honey and beekeeping skills as they prepare for the much-anticipated musical’s premiere.

The company also includes Ava Brennan (Les Misérables), Tarinn Callender (Hamilton), Madeline Charlemagne (Hex), Danielle Fiamanya (Mandela), Eleanor House (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart), Richard James-Neale (Othello), Daniel Krikler (The Book Thief), Mark Meadows (The House of Shades), Shekinah McFarlane (Six), Chrystine Symone (The Magician’s Elephant), Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), and Marcellus Whyte (Motown).

The show features choreography by Shelley Maxwell, set design by Soutra Gilmour, costume design by Qween Jean, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Simon Baker, music supervision and direction by Nigel Lilley, orchestrations by John Clancy, vocal arrangements by Jason Hart, orchestral management by David Gallagher, wigs, hair and make-up by Cynthia De La Rosa, casting direction by Charlotte Sutton, costume supervision by Jackie Orton, assistant direction by Mumba Dodwell and associate choreography by Ebony Molina.