Doctor Dolittle UK and Ireland tour to close early

The UK tour of Doctor Dolittle will close early.

Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the new stage production of the musical stars Mark Williams and first opened at Churchill Theatre, Bromley on 9 November and has been touring since then.

It will now have its final performance at Oxford New Theatre on 26 January, having been scheduled to run until November 2019.

The musical has book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and is based on the 1967 movie of the same name starring Rex Harrison, and the children's stories by Hugh Lofting. The tour formed part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the film.

The show's production company Music and Lyrics has cited lower than anticipated advance ticket sales for the reason to cancel the tour.

Chair Robert Sanderson said: "Music and Lyrics was established to create work of scale and imagination for regional presenting venues and over eight years it has met with a high degree of success. On this occasion, Doctor Dolittle has not secured the same degree of support and, sadly, members of the consortium have had no alternative but to foreshorten the planned tour.

"I would like to thank all those involved in creating this breathtaking production, which has been enjoyed by audiences and critics alike. There is still time to see the production in Oxford between 15 and 26 January."

Ticket holders for the cancelled leg of the tour are advised to contact their point of purchase.