The production of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty‘s musical based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy begins performances on the 10th May 2023.
Rehearsal images have now been released for Ola Ince’s production which is the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s opening production of its Summer 2023 season. The musical will run at the theatre until the 10th June 2023.
This revival of the musical, for which the original West End production won Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards when it premiered in 1995 and the most recent Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival in 2018, is a re-telling of The Little Mermaid.
A musical story of love, grief, faith and hope, Once On This Island tells of peasant girl Ti Moune, a boy called Daniel, and a union that prejudice forbids. Against the heat of the Caribbean sun and destruction of tropical storms, can Ti Moune settle the wager of the Gods, and prove that love is more powerful than death?
The cast for the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production includes: Stephenson Ardern-Sodje (Daniel), Courtney-Mae Briggs (Andrea), Gabrielle Brooks (Ti Moune), Jonathon Grant (Armand + US Agwe), Emilie Louise Israel (Erzulie), Chris Jarman (Tonton), Anelisa Lamola (Asaka), Natasha Magigi (Mama Euralie), Ashley Samuels (Agwe) and Lejaun Sheppard (Papa Ge). Further cast includes Bernadette Bangura, Hanna Dimtsu, Nay-Nay,Cassandra Lee, Newtion Matthews, Cherece Richards and Marco Titus.The role of Young Ti Moune is shared by Janai Bartlett, Lexi Kowlessar, Nesisa Mhindu, Kirsten Muzvuru, Nielle Springer and Olivia St Louis.
Meanwhile, the creative team behind the production includes: Phil Bateman (Musical Supervisor), Niamh Gaffney (Associate Sound Designer), Jessica Hung Han Yun (Lighting Designer), Niquelle LaTouche (Associate Choreographer), Nick Lidster (Sound Designer), Georgia Lowe (Set Designer), Ingrid Mackinnon (Season Associate – Intimacy Support), Lindsay McAllister (Associate Director), Philip d’Orléans (Fight Director), Chris Poon (Musical Director), Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy (Choreographer), Melissa Simon-Hartman (Costume Designer), Jacob Sparrow (Casting Director) and Annemette Verspeak (Voice & Text Director).
To book tickets visit: https://openairtheatre.com/production/once-on-this-island