The stage version of movie musical The Greatest Showman will open in the West End in 2027.
The 2017 film of the period drama, inspired by the life of Barnum & Bailey Circus creator PT Barnum, starred Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams and Zendaya.
A stage musical adaptation sold out when it premiered at the Bristol Hippodrome in March and will be given a West End run, opening at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring next year.
Cast and creative team
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, the adaptation will star Oliver Tompsett, as Barnum, and Samantha Barks as his wife, Charity.
The cast includes Ben Joyce as Phillip Carlyle, Vajen van den Bosch as Jenny Lind and Malinda Parris as Lettie Lutz.
The musical will feature the Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, including The Greatest Show, A Million Dreams, Come Alive, Rewrite The Stars, Never Enough and This Is Me.
The Egot winners have also written new songs for the stage production.
Story and songs
The synopsis for the show teases: “A restless maverick refuses the life everyone expects of him.
“Determined to build the greatest show on earth, he brings together those the world never expected to shine, creating something far bigger than he ever imagined.”
The Greatest Showman is the first title to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group (DTG).
DTG’s Anne Quart and Andrew Flatt said: “It’s rare for a new film musical to capture the world’s imagination in the way The Greatest Showman has – both for its story and record-breaking soundtrack.
“The piece is fearless in its emotion: open-hearted, exuberant, and unapologetically joyous, celebrating those considered outsiders and dreamers.
“While its storytelling draws on classic traditions, its score is unmistakably of today — bold, infectious songs that feel they were always destined for the stage.”
“The show is born of a collaboration with an incredible group of artists.
“Benj Pasek and Justin Paul return with the songs audiences will know and love, alongside exhilarating new numbers created especially for the stage.”
Cast backgrounds
Tompsett is best known for appearing in productions including Wicked, A Knight’s Tale, Ghost, & Juliet, Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, Guys And Dolls and Mamma Mia!
Barks has starred in Les Miserables, Pretty Woman and Frozen. She rose to fame on the Oliver-themed BBC musical talent show I’d Do Anything in 2008, alongside Oscar winner Jessie Buckley.
The Greatest Showman film was nominated for three Golden Globes, winning best original song for This Is Me, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.
The schedule and ticket sale dates for the Greatest Showman production will be announced at a later date.
