Paul Taylor-Mills has announced a brand new theatre to open on the 22nd August next to Battersea Power Station.
Located under the Grosvenor Bridge Railway Arches at Circus West Village and next to the Battersea Power Station, this new theatre is presented by Bill Kenwright and founded and led by Artistic Director Paul Taylor-Mills.
The Turbine Theatre is set to open on the 22nd August with a production of Harvey Fierstein’s Tony Award winning play Torch Song, which will play at the theatre until the 13th October. The production will be directed by Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie (In The Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar and King Kong).
The groundbreaking and Tony Award winning story of drag queen Arnold Beckoff and his quest for true love in 1970s Manhattan is a hilarious and heartbreaking portrait of love, loss, sexual identity and the deep longing for family approval that drives us all forward, and drives us all crazy.
This inaugural production at the theatre is set to star: Daisy Boulton (Yonderland, Working Title/Sky), Dino Fetscher (Years and Years, BBC), Matthew Needham (Chernobyl, HBO, Summer & Smoke, Almeida/West End) and Rish Shah (Years and Years, BBC), with further casting to be announced in due course.
As well as being directed by Drew McOnie, the creative team for the production will include: design by Ryan Laight, lighting by James Whiteside, sound by Seb Frost, with casting by Will Burton.
Talking about the news Paul Taylor-Mills said: ” I’m elated to be launching a brand new theatre at the iconic Battersea Power Station. The vision is a simple one, to enable world class artists to tell stories that enchant at The Turbine Theatre and eventually play beyond our London home. We’re interested in being the starting point for new shows and also reimagining the older ones.It has been a lifetime dream of mine to have a home for my ideas that feels authentically ‘me’. Over the last year I’ve had the most precious time curating a venue and programme that reflects my tastes and I’m really excited about welcoming those that have followed my work over the last couple of years. I’ve been blessed with the most wonderful partners in Bill Kenwright and Hilary and Stuart Williams, without whom none of this would have been possible.”
Torch Song will play at the Turbine Theatre from the 22nd August until the 13th October. Watch our videos from the launch on our YouTube channel here.