JERRY MITCHELL TO DIRECT NEW WORKSHOP PRESENTATION OF MUSICAL IN LONDON THIS AUTUMN - BRITISH INVASION
- ely01123
- Aug 29
- 2 min read
Tony & Olivier Award winning producers Hal Luftig (Legally Blonde, Kinky Boots), Craig Haffner and Sherry Wright (Plaza Suite, The Wiz) and producer Kevin Connor (Here Lies Love) are delighted to announce a forthcoming workshop presentation of British Invasion, a musical directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, La Cage Aux Folles, Pretty Woman, On Your Feet!), with a book by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Star Catcher), with musical supervision by Tom Deering (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Tammy Faye, The Color Purple).
Set during the wild rise of the 1960s, British Invasion is a fresh, feel-good fable of young love and rock ’n’ roll, featuring more than two dozen chart-topping hits from some of the greatest British artists of the era, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield. Originally conceived by legendary Herman’s Hermits frontman Peter Noone, the show captures the energy, optimism and cultural revolution that defined a generation.
The company bringing this story to life include Jonny Amies (The Little Big Things) as ‘Peter Noone’, Jenna Bonner (The Lion King) as ‘Suki’, Daniel Bravo (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club) as ‘Andrew’, Stevie Doc (winner of Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) as ‘Marianne’, Jordan Luke Gage (Bonnie & Clyde, Heathers) as ‘Mick’, Melissa Jacques (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Wicked) as ‘Peter’s Mum’, George Maguire (Olivier Award winner for Sunny Afternoon) as ‘Paul McCartney’, Kyle Taylor Parker (Kinky Boots, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as ‘Geno’, and Ashley Samuels (Motown The Musical, The Book of Mormon) as ‘the Dealer’.
The ensemble features Taila Halford (Mamma Mia!) as ‘Mary Quaint’, Ying Ue Li (The King and I), Tom Oliver (Jersey Boys), and Rachel Rawlinson (Bat Out of Hell), with further casting still to be announced.
The workshop presentation will take place in London on 18 and 19 September.
Casting is by Jill Green CDG, with Tom Shiels as Casting Associate, with General Management by Thomas Hopkins Productions.
Jerry Mitchell said, "Before they were big. Before Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles. Before British bands took over the world — they were making music for each other at The Bag O’ Nails. I love these songs, and I love that moment when no one yet knew the impact they would have. With British Invasion, we get to re-live that explosion of possibility — the sound, the style, the spirit of a generation discovering itself through music. Developing this show in London, the birthplace of so much of that energy, feels exactly right. This city was the epicentre of a cultural revolution, and it’s thrilling to explore that legacy in the rehearsal room with this extraordinary company. The Bag of Nails, Carnaby and Kingly Street is the heart of this story and much of that energy feels exactly right."
