This Is London - 10 July 2020

14
WORLD PREMIERE OF SLEEPLESS
AT TROUBADOUR WEMBLEY PARK
Sleepless, the musical romance
based on the original screen
play Sleepless in Seattle, will premiere
at the Troubadour Wembley Park
Theatre, from 1 September, with
previews from 25 August. The limited
season will run until 27 September,
observing government advice.
Sleepless is a new musical which will
star Jay McGuiness as Sam and
Kimberley Walsh as Annie, and will
feature a 12-piece jazz orchestra.
Michael Rose, producer of Sleepless,
on behalf of Encore Theatre Productions,
said: ‘Our story in Sleepless deals with
mending something that is broken – it’s
about putting a family back together after
a loss – and we feel it’s time to do
exactly that – it’s time to start the healing
process – that’s part of what we do in
Theatre.’
The show tells the heart-warming tale
of Sam, who moves to Seattle with his
ten year-old son, Jonah, following the
tragic death of his wife. When Jonah
phones a radio show, Sam is forced to
talk about his broken heart and sleepless
nights live on air, and he suddenly finds
himself one of the most sought after
single men in America and a great news
story for feisty journalist Annie on the
opposite side of the country. Can Jonah
bring the two together on the top deck of
the Empire State Building? A fresh and
lively book alongside a brand-new
musical score bring this timeless of
romantic comedies to life on stage.
The world premiere of Sleepless will
be presented by Michael Rose, Encore
Theatre Productions Ltd, David Shor and
Marc Toberoff. The General Manager will
be David Pearson.
HACKNEY EMPIRE CROWD-
FUNDING CAMPAIGN
Olivier award-winning actor and
Hackney Empire Patron Clive Rowe has
launched a crowdfunding campaign to
help Hackney Empire rebuild its
reputation as one of the UK’s most
beautiful and best-loved venues.
Clive has starred in over 14 of
Hackney Empire’s legendary pantomimes
and said the Grade II* listed theatre
‘must continue’.
For over a century, Hackney Empire
has been an iconic venue for the
performing arts, home to generations of
artists, audiences and community
participants who come to see a rich
variety of music, comedy, opera and
theatre, as well as work by young and
emerging artists for which the venue
provides a vital platform.
Hackney Empire's pantomime is one
of the UK's best and best-loved,
attracting audiences of over 50,000
annually. Further information from the
website at hackneyempire.co.uk
DA VINCI CODE STAGE PREMIERE
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s
blockbuster novel that captivated the
world, is to become an epic stage
thriller. It will make its World Premiere at
the Churchill Theatre on 3 April, 2021.
The curator of the Louvre has been
brutally murdered, and alongside his
body are a series of baffling codes.
Follow the pulse-racing journey as
Professor Robert Langdon and fellow
cryptologist Sophie Neveu attempt to
solve the riddles, leading to the works of
Leonardo Da Vinci and beyond, deep
into the vault of history. In a breathless
race through the streets of Europe,
Langdon and Neveu must decipher the
labyrinthine code before a shocking
historical secret is lost forever.
Based on the best-selling novel of this
century, with over 100 million copies
sold, the secrets of The Da Vinci Code will
be revealed in the stage adaptation of the
international phenomenon and uncover
the truth in the greatest thriller of the past
2,000 years.
Clive Rowe in panto Photo: Robert Workman.
t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e