A Twelfth Night-inspired jazz musical is coming to Liverpool Playhouse Theatre next month

A new Jazz musical based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, conceived by Sheldon Epps, with a book by Cheryl L. West, is coming to Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 October.

In partnership with Talawa, one of the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres’ associate companies and the UK’s leading Black theatre company, Play On! is at the heart of Talawa’s 2024 Black Joy season, alongside seed commissions celebrating Black stories and artists.

This joyous, musical retelling of Shakespeare’s beloved play brings to life the 1940s New York jazz scene, set to a timeless, toe-tapping Duke Ellington score. Olivier Award-winning sound designer Tony Gayle (My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican) joins the production alongside Talawa Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Michael Buffong (A Kind of People, Royal Court; Guys and Dolls, Talawa), who directs the show. 

Play On! as the centerpiece of the Black Joy season, director, Michael Buffong said:

“We are incredibly proud to finally realise our vision of bringing this artistically ambitious body of work to theatres across the length and breadth of the UK. As a Black theatre company, now more than ever, we are determined to spotlight and celebrate great Black British talent, on and off stage, and ensure that Black talent and creativity are at the heart of building cohesion in our country. We hope this season will bring Joy wherever it goes…” 

The story follows Vy, a talented songwriter who wants to make it big in the 1940’s Harlem scene. It’s very much a man’s world but she refuses to accept defeat. When she meets club owner The Duke and nightclub singer Lady Liv, she’s soon swept up into a tale of mistaken identities and romance. 

The cast comprises Tsemaye Bob-Egbe (SIX The Musical and TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End) as Viola, who sets forth to make a name for herself in the New York jazz scene. Lady Liv is played by Kori Hedgemon (Lovin’ Vegas and We Are One, Carnival Cruise Line; Hairspray, Pratville Theatre), the star singer at The Cotton Club. The club’s world famous song writer The Duke is played by Earl Gregory (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End; Kinky Boots, The Fugard Theatre). Making up the cast are Llewellyn Jamal (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical and Get Up, Stand Up!, West End) as Jester; Cameron Bernard Jones (Ain’t Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre; The Burnt City, Punchdrunk; The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre) as Rev; Lifford Shillingford (Britain’s Got Talent, ITV; Tarantino Live, Riverside Studios) as Sweets; Tanya Edwards (Sister Act The Musical, UK tour) as Miss Mary; and Gleanne Purcell-Brown (Living, Lionsgate UK; Curtains, West End; Spamalot, UK tour) as Ceecee.  

The talented ensemble includes Natalia Brown, Freya Karlettis, Amber Cayasso, Jarnéia Richard-Noel, Andre Coulson, Alex Okoampa and Dylan Blake-Colbet in his stage debut. 

Joining the creative team are choreographer Kenrick H20 Sandy (Artistic Associate, Barbican; Boy Blue; Free Your Mind, Aviva Studios) and the musical supervisor Liam Godwin (The Big Life, Theatre Royal Stratford East; West End Musical Christmas, Adelphi Theatre; Bat Boy, London Palladium). Alongside the Olivier Award-winning (Jerusalem, Royal Court) set and costume designer Ultz (The Death of England, National Theatre); associate director Rachael Nanyonjo; musical director Ashton Moore; associate musical director Luke Bacchus; associate choreographer Nicey Belgrave; orchestrator and arranger Benjamin Kwasi Burrell; associate costumer designer Maybelle Laye; lighting designer Johanna Town and voice coach Joel Trill. 

To support the development of new work by Black writers in Merseyside, Seed Commissions offer two writers of African or Caribbean heritage to develop a new play, showcase work and build networks with the creative community in Liverpool, £1,250 each and develop idea with dramaturgical support toward to rehearsed reading at the Liverpool Playhouse Studio for invited audience. Applications are open now, until Friday 4 October. 

A free pre-show talk featuring Michael Buffong, and Ameera Conrad, Associate Artistic Director of 20 Stories High, will delve into the significance and relevance of adapting Shakespeare for today’s audiences. The discussion will be held on Tuesday 15 October and hosted by Nathan Powell, Creative Director of Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres.

Tickets for Play On! are priced from £11 to £41 and are available on the Everyman & Playhouse Theatres website here.

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