Watch ”The Book Thief” musical in rehearsals ahead of world premiere
© Ray Jefferson
Markus Zusak’s seminal novel is set during the Second World War and follows a young girl who befriends a Jewish man who is concealed by her foster parents.
The book is penned by Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald, with the piece featuring music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson.
The titular role of Liesel will be shared by young performers Bea Glancy and Niamh Palmer, while the role of Rudy will be shared by Alfie Corbett and Charlie Murphy.
Leading the cast will be Ryan O’Donnell (The Serpent) as the Narrator, Jack Lord (West Side Story) as Hans Hubermann, Danielle Henry (After Life) as Rosa Hubermann, and Daniel Krikler (Present Laughter) as Max Vandenburg.
The ensemble is completed by Purvi Parmar (The Jungle Book), Katy Clayton (The Band), Victoria Brazier (Pride and Prejudice), Ida Regan (4 Walls), Duane Gooden (The Smartest Giant in Town), Andrew Whitehead (A Christmas Carol) and Matthew Heywood (Zorro).
The show plays at Bolton Octagon from 15 September to 15 October, directed by the venue’s artistic director Lotte Wakeham.
Watch the video here:
The show is choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves (Amélie), with musical direction and orchestrations by Matthew Malone (Coming to England) and design by Good Teeth (aka James Perkins and Victoria Smart – The Winter’s Tale).
It also features lighting design by Nic Farman (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice), puppet design by Samuel Wilde (The Fir Tree) and sound design by Andy Graham (The Upstart Crow).
Also part of the project are associate director Georgia Wang Murphy (Cyrano de Bergerac), associate musical director George Strickland (The Regulars), casting director Jacob Sparrow (City of Angels), assistant casting director Olivia Barr (Kes) and production manager Dan Turner (The Ocean at the End of the Lane).
