The opening night of Burlesque the Musical at the Sunderland Empire, already postponed by a week, has been cancelled with just hours to go until curtain up. Theatre bosses blamed 'technical difficulties' for the latest postponement, after the UK tour had already been hit by issues, having been due to open in Woking in July.
Show's troubled tour continues
Based on the 2010 film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, the stage show features tracks from the film like Express and Show Me How You Burlesque, alongside new tracks. It debuted in Manchester in 2024, moved to Glasgow for a limited run, and delighted audiences at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End last year.
Fans were delighted when the show was announced for a nationwide tour, but things went awry when the planned opening in Woking on July 25 was shelved, making Sunderland Empire the tour's first stop. Burlesque, starring Dancing on Ice's Faye Brooks as Tess (the role played on screen by Cher), was due to open at the Empire on August 6, before being pushed back to August 13 due to the 'technical requirements' of the production.
Cancellation announced on social media
However, that performance is not happening either. A post on the theatre's social media channels just before 10am on Thursday announced it 'couldn't go ahead.' The statement began: 'The producers of Burlesque are sorry to announce, that due to technical difficulties' tonight's performance cannot go ahead.'
It continued: 'The team behind the show is working hard to resolve issues and anticipates Burlesque will open on Friday, August 14. Customers affected by the cancellation will be notified by email about the next steps.'
