Full casting for the UK premiere of the Broadway musical the Life, playing at the Southwark Playhouse from the 25th March, has been announced.
Directed by two time Tony award winner Michael Blakemore and joining the previously announced Sharon D. Clarke and Cornell S.John, The Life will star John Addison (Jojo), David Albury (Fleetwood), Jalisa Andrews (Chichi), Matthew Caputo (Oddjob), Lawrence Carmichael (Snickers), Omari Douglas (Slick), Aisha Jawando (Carmen), Thomas-Lee Kidd (Bobby), Charlotte Reavey (April), Jo Servi (Lacy), Lucinda Shaw (Tracy), Johnathan Tweedie (Theodore), T’Shan Williams (Queen) and Joanna Woodward (Mary).
Featuring a score by Cy Coleman (City of Angels, Sweet Charity, Barnum), The Life is a heartfelt musical about Times Square before it was cleaned up.
Queen (T’Shan Williams), a young girl from Savannah, and Fleetwood (David Albury), a Vietnam vet with a drug habit, are trying to make it in a merciless New York. Queen is forced into part-time prostitution and ‘The Life’ describes how these two lovers move through this dark world until Queen is helped by her one true friend, an older more experienced hooker, Sonja (Sharon D. Clarke), to make her escape.
On this journey, we meet Memphis (Cornell S. John), the all-powerful king pimp, the girls he controls, Jojo (John Addison), the hustler, who makes it all happen, and the fresh-faced Mary (Joanna Woodward), straight off the bus from small town Minnesota, only too eager to embrace ‘The Life’.
The musical originally opened on Broadway in 1997, it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won two Best Featured Actress and Actor in a Musical for cast members Lillias White and Chuck Cooper. It also won Best Musical at the Drama Desk Awards.
This UK premiere production will feature set and costume designs by Justin Nardella, choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, projection designs by Nina Dunn, lighting by David Howe, sound design by Sebastian Frost and musical direction by Tamara Saringer.
The Life will play at the Southwark Playhouse from the 25th March and is booking until the 29th April. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show/the-life/.