Thelma & Louise musical to have world premiere – lead casting confirmed

A new musical adaptation of Thelma & Louise will run at the Young Vic Theatre from 3 September to 24 October 2026, as part of the venue’s newly announced season.

The production is a co-production between the Young Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions, Blue Spruce Productions, Ley Line Entertainment and Callie Khouri, with Mandy Greenfield in association with MGM On Stage. Khouri has written the book for the musical, which features music and lyrics by Neko Case and is directed by Trip Cullman.

The show will star Rachel Tucker as Louise and Amy Lennox as Thelma. The story follows two friends who embark on a spontaneous trip that escalates after an encounter at a roadside bar, altering the course of their lives and their relationship.

The creative team includes choreography by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, scenography by Christine Jones and Brett J Banakis, costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight, lighting design by Natasha Chivers and sound design by Gareth Owen. Musical supervision is by Kimberly Grigsby, with orchestrations and arrangements by John Clancy and musical direction by Ed Bussey.

The production also features additional music by Carl Newman, Paul Rigby and Zoe Sarnak. Creative producers are Mandy Greenfield and Sonia Friedman Productions, with Imogen Brodie serving as creative consultant.

Casting is by Stuart Burt, with Peter Noden as casting associate. Kev McCurdy is fight director and Yarit Dor is intimacy director, with voice and dialect coaching by Danièle Lydon. Chelsea Walker is associate director, Matthew Buttrey is associate designer and Rob Jones is associate sound designer. Jeff Galegher is music producer and Sylvia Addison is orchestra manager. RCI Theatricals serve as US general managers.

The musical is based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture, written by Khouri. It was previously being workshopped with Evan Rachel Wood and Amanda Seyfried, according to reports from 2023.

Khouri said: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the Young Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Delman, Ley Line Entertainment and Mandy Greenfield in this newly re-imagined story of Thelma & Louise. It’s still a wild and emotional ride made even better by the contribution of the enormous talents of Neko Case, Trip Cullman and our amazing creative team. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this timely re-telling.”

The production is supported by Sophie Hale and Roland Rudd and the Charlotte Aitken Trust.

Priority booking begins on 20 April.