Amélie The Musical, which was seen on Broadway in 2017, makes its U.K. debut April 11. The adaptation of the 2001 award-winning film of the same name plays the Watermill Theatre in Newbury through May 18 before embarking on an extensive U.K. tour May 22 that will continue through September 21. Michael Fentiman directs.
French-Canadian stage and screen star Audrey Brisson plays Amélie Poulain, with Chris Jared as Nino (Danny Mac will play Nino in the subsequent tour), Oliver Grant as Lucien/Mysterious Man, Samuel Morgan-Grahame as Joseph/Fluffy, Sioned Saunders as Gina, Johnson Willis as Collignon/Dufayel, Caolan McCarthy as Hippolito/Elton John, Faoileann Cunningham as Georgette/Sylvia, Kate Robson-Stuart as Suzanne, Josh Sneesby as Blind Beggar/Gnome, Jez Unwin as Raphael/Bretodeau, and Rachel Dawson as Andamine/Philomene.
Amélie has music by Daniel Messé, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Messé, and a book by Craig Lucas.
The show follows an astonishing young woman who lives quietly in the world, but loudly in her mind. She secretly improvises small, but extraordinary acts of kindness that bring happiness to those around her. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes that to find her own contentment she’ll have to risk everything and say what’s in her heart.
SEE WHAT IS SCHEDULED TO PERFORM IN LONDON
Fentiman said in an earlier statement, “As a theatre maker, staging Amélie as a musical is one of those exciting, terrifying challenges, that you absolutely cannot turn down. It is a gentle, magical and uncynically joyous piece—that takes its audience on a surreal flight of fancy, into the mind of an extraordinary young woman, Amélie Poulain. It’s going to be a huge pleasure to open the show at the beautiful Watermill Theatre before then taking our extremely talented actor musician cast around the U.K.”
When the U.K. tour concludes in August 2019, Amélie will tour internationally, with dates to be announced.
Visit Watermill.org.uk.
(Updated April 11, 2019)