Friday, July 14

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White to return to London later this year

Thom Southerland (Titanic, Grey Gardens, Grand Hotel) is to direct the first ever revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony and Olivier Award-nominated musical The Woman in White at London's Charing Cross Theatre for  a strictly limited 12-week season from 20th November-10th February 2018.

Casting is to be announced, but is it rumoured that negotiations are currently under way for Lara Pitt-Pulford to play Marian Halcombe who lives in a mansion with her younger half-sister Laura Fairlie

The Woman in White is produced by Patrick Gracey, Steven M. Levy and Vaughan Williams by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Limited.It is  tempestuous tale of love, betrayal and greed, adapted from Wilkie Collins’ haunting Victorian thriller, this is the premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel’s revised score.

Walter Hartright’s life is changed forever after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, dressed in white, desperate to reveal her chilling secret. When he takes up his position as drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie and her half sister, Marian, he sees in Laura’s face an eerie reflection of the forlorn creature he met previously. Walter and Laura’s feelings for each other are thwarted by her engagement to the sinister Sir Percival Glyde. What is the connection between, Laura, Sir Percival, and the woman in white? Can true love prevail?

Andrew Lloyd Webber told Baz Bamigboye in today's Mail that he and lyricist David Zippel were well aware that the show (which ran  for nineteen months in the West End and three months on Broadway) wasn’t perfect. As is ever the case, there were some things that could have been done better. He and Zippel have been tinkering with it for about three years now, and have given Southerland the tidied up version’ to direct as he sees fit. We’re going to let Southerland  have a free hand in doing it, It’s important to let him have his own directorial take on it.

Southerland said the new Woman In White will be leaner (cuts have been made to the music and libretto; and the problematic second act has been streamlined) and more intimate — and not just because the Charing Cross is a fraction of the size of the Palace where it was last performedSoutherland said; It’s going to be small,Roughly about four people: Marian, Laura, Anne Catherick and Walter Hartright. And then you have the Count,’ he added, referring to Count Fosco (played in a fat suit by Michael Crawford in London and Michael Ball on Broadway), the dastardly aristocrat who charms women in harm’s way. Southerland said his Count will be young and handsome.  

Creatives
Music Andrew Lloyd Webber | Lyrics David Zippel | Book Charlotte Jones
Director Thom Southerland | Movement Cressida CarrĂ© | Set Designer Morgan Large | Costume Designer Jonathan Lipman | Lighting Designer Rick Fisher | Sound Designer  Andrew Johnson | Casting David Grindrod Associates | Orchestrations David Cullen

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