Burlesque the Musical has cancelled another string of performances at Sunderland Empire Theatre, with an insider telling The Mirror that "cast morale is through the floor" on the "doomed" production.
The musical, based on the 2010 film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, has faced repeated setbacks. A London run was postponed until 2027, and a UK tour starring former Coronation Street actress Faye Brookes was cancelled entirely in Woking amid "technical issues." Producers then said it would open in Sunderland in early August, but the launch was delayed by eight days.
Performance cancellations and illness
The curtain finally rose on Friday night, with two further performances over the weekend. However, Monday's show was pulled due to illness. On Tuesday afternoon, organisers announced that because of "cast illness," the evening performance—which was meant to be press night—would not go ahead, with the show returning on Friday.
An insider told The Mirror: "History is repeating itself. Producers should be ashamed of themselves, cast and crew morale is through the floor. The evenings of hundreds of theatregoers are once again being upended by individuals who know they can get away with it. The blame lies with them. It is beyond a joke."
Audience reaction and producer response
In an email seen by The Mirror, ATG, which owns Sunderland Empire, told customers: "We are writing to let you know that due to several cast members being ill, the performance of Burlesque The Musical on 19th August, 19:30 at Sunderland Empire cannot go ahead as planned. We know you will have been looking forward to seeing the show and we sincerely apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause."
A social media post confirmed that performances on Tuesday 18th, Wednesday 19th, and Thursday had all been cancelled, with extra covers hired in case other cast members remain ill by Friday.
Reaction online was negative. Theatre influencer Finian Hackett, known to his 100k followers as fintothewoods, wrote: "The saga never ends!" Another said: "What a cursed show," and another raged: "I'll be taking a refund, the show has been doomed from the start, think it's time to cut their losses and cancel the tour."
Background and cast comments
When the London production was delayed earlier this year, producers described it as "a strategic decision designed to ensure the production returns to London exactly as we want it to." The first West End production launched in 2025, but before its opening night, actors union Equity said they were "engaging with both members and the producers" over "a number of issues."
Lead actress Faye Brookes, known for playing Kate Connor on Coronation Street and appearing in musicals like Legally Blonde, The Sound of Music and Chicago, recently spoke to The Mirror about her role. She said: "I can never be Cher, but the fact that I get to play a role that she played is pretty fantastic. The stage version has even more diamonds, more numbers and more glitter!"
