Performing at The Other Palace from the 23rd March, the musical is set to star a number of familiar faces across all performances.
To mark its 20th birthday, it has been announced that the Orpheus Centre will present Sir Richard Stilgoe’s Orpheus – The Mythical, to highlight the work of the charity, at The Other Palace from March.
Alumni and current students from this disabilities charity will join forces with recent graduates from the Arts Educational School to present the musical which will also feature the likes of Jane Asher, Rob Brydon, Bertie Carvel who will guide the telling of this mythical tale.
This witty musical comedy of a Greek tragedy follows Orpheus on an expedition hindered at every stage by bored, capricious gods and a dodgy satnav. He joins the heroic Argonauts to vanquish a dragon to steal the legendary golden fleece. But on his return, his quest is not over. He must descend to the Underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice from the depths of Hades.
Sir Richard Stilgoe created the Orpheus Trust in 1998 in his former family home in Surrey to inspire young disabled people to greater independence though performing arts experiences. The Orpheus Centre offers a personalised study programme focusing on building independence, communication and social interaction skills through the arts, supported housing and a personal care service. The students stay at Orpheus for up to three years and are between the ages of 18 and 25 and have learning and/or physical disabilities. The focus at the Orpheus Centre is on maximising lasting independence for the students.
Talking about the news Sir Richard Stilgoe said: “We are performing with Arts Educational because we do inclusive stuff and not disabled stuff; the whole purpose of Orpheus is to mix young disabled people up with the real world and not separate them. These are terrific and confident performers who concentrate on what they can do rather than what they can’t. Orpheus changes young disabled people’s lives. It changes the lives of the staff and the 98 volunteers who work with them. It changes the lives of everyone who attends one of their shows. It has changed my life immeasurably.”
This inclusive production will be directed by Katie Beard and feature designs by Jason Denvir.
Orpheus – The Mythical will play at The Other Palace from the 23rd to the 31st March. For more information and to book tickets visit: https://www.theotherpalace.co.uk/whats-on/orpheus-the-mythical