The “UK’s outstanding black theatre company” Talawa is to stage the première of Play On!, a jazz-fuelled, Twelfth Night-inspired musical.
This “joyous, musical retelling of Shakespeare’s beloved play” brings to life the 1940s New York jazz scene set to a timeless, toe-tapping Duke Ellington score.
The cast comprises Tsemaye Bob-Egbe as Viola, Kori Hedgemon as Lady Viv, the star singer at The Cotton Club, Earl Gregory as the club’s famous song writer The Duke, Llewellyn Jamal as Jester, Cameron Bernard Jones as Rev, Shillingford as Sweets, Tanya Edwards as Miss Mary and Gleanne Purcell-Brown as Ceecee.
The ensemble comprises Natalia Brown, Freya Karlettis, Amber Cayasso, Jarnéia Richard-Noel, Andre Coulson, Alex Okoampa and Dylan Blake-Colbet.
Conceived by Sheldon Epps with a book by Cheryl L West, Play On! will be directed by Talawa’s artistic director Michael Buffong. Kenrick Sandy is the choreographer and Liam Godwin is musical supervisor.
Play On! is produced by Talawa Theatre Company and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre in partnership with J Clare Productions and Chuchu Nwagu Productions, with co-producers Birmingham Hippodrome, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Wiltshire Creative, Salisbury.
The musical will open at the Belgrade from Monday 23 September until Saturday 5 October, with press night on Thursday 26 September. It will then tour to Liverpool, Salisbury, Birmingham, Bristol and Hammersmith until 22 February 2025.