G4’s Jonathan Ansell fronts Two Cities at Charing Cross

Having come to prominence as a member of pop opera group G4, Ansell has established himself as a solo artist since the group disbanded in 2007.

His recent credits include performing at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s birthday concert in Hyde Park and in Don Black‘s Lyrics at the Palladium. Ansell’s other stage work includes Whistle Down the Wind, Lark Rise to Candleford and Beauty and the Beast. He has appeared on stage in the US with Marvin Hamlisch as well as staging a nationwide solo tour.

A Tale of Two Cities, which is helmed by the star of BBC sitcom Just Good Friends Paul Nicholas, premiered at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in September 2008. It will now run at the Charing Cross until 12 May 2012.

Announced to coincide with the writer’s bicentenary, A Tale of Two Cities is based on the much loved Dickens story.

The show has music by David Pomeranz whose songs have been performed by artists such as Freddie Mercury, The Carpenters and Dionne Warwick, gaining 22 platinum and 18 gold albums.

The musical has a book by Steven David Horwich whose other musical credit include Little Tramp and David Soames, creator of Cliff Richard musical Time. Lyrics are by Horwich, with musical arrangements by John Cameron. A Tale of Two Cities is choreographed by Racky Plews.

Dickens’ tale has adapted for the musical stage on a number of occasions, with one of the most high-profile being Jill Santoriello‘s 2008 Broadway staging. That production closed after 60 performances and 33 previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, receiving an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best New Musical.

On this side of the Atlantic, Howard Goodall adapted Dickens’ story for the stage with a book co-written by Joanna Read. That production, transposed to the Russian revolution rather than the French, premiered at Salisbury Playhouse in 2006.

A Tale of Two Cities at the Charing Cross Theatre is produced by PNPF Associates Ltd in association with Ovation.