The cast is announced for the world premiere of new British musical Cable Street – opening at The Large, Southwark Playhouse Borough on Friday 16 February 2024 to Saturday 16 March 2024.
Cable Street directed by Adam Lenson, is a topical and electrifying reimagining of one of London’s most momentous days – celebrating a community who came together with a call for action, as The Battle of Cable Street was fought and won. With racial tensions running high, people marched and took to the streets of London…. A timeless story, as powerful today as it was in 1936.
The cast of eleven plus full band includes: Danny Colligan (Dirty Dancing, Book of Mormon, Les Misérables), Sha Dessi (Les Misérables – nominated by Sir Cameron Mackintosh for the Stage 25 Awards 2022) and recent graduate Joshua Ginsberg – as the three young friends who passionately live their lives in the multi-cultural melting pot that is Cable Street.
Joining them are: Debbie Chazen (Calendar Girls The Musical – Olivier Best Actress in a Musical nomination, Our Generation, Mother Clapp’s Molly House – RNT, TV: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Doctors – Best Actress Soap Award nomination); Sophia Ragavelas (Cats, The Lion King, Mama Mia, Les Misérables); Jade Johnson (Book of Mormon); Max Alexander-Taylor (The Lion – Southwark Playhouse); Aiofe Mac Namara (workshop Cable Street), Ethan Pascal Peters (Showstopper! The Improvised Musical).
It’s October 1936 in the heart of London’s East End. Sammy (Ginsberg), Mairead (Dessi) and Ron (Colligan) are carving out their own futures on Cable Street when Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (Blackshirts) start to march on East London. Half a million Jews, Irish workers, trade unions, the labour and communist parties, women and children unite to blockade the road they all call home. As the people raise their voices and take a united stand against hatred, the lives of the streets’ residents are changed forever.
Discovering there were so many connections to The Battle of Cable Street still resonating today, composer/lyricist Tim Gilvin and playwright Alex Kanefsky decided that Cable Street must feature a contemporary score: bringing to life a vital part of London’s rich diversity and history.
In an extraordinary twist of fate, Joshua Ginsberg’s great-grandfather Isidor Baum fought at The Battle of Cable Street, returning home bleeding profusely but victorious – true life reflecting art. And researching their own families, several of the cast and production team emotionally find their own connection to the East End and the 4 October 1936: their ancestors also defended this diverse community from fascist intimidation at The Battle of Cable Street: with cries of They Shall Not Pass.
The award-winning composer/lyricist Tim Gilvin (hit musical Unfortunate: the Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – Underbelly + Southwark Playhouse Elephant – Dec 2023–Feb 2024 + national tour; Stay Awake Jake – Southwark Playhouse, Help! We Are Still Alive – Seven Dials Playhouse; orchestrations for Sarah Brightman’s A Starlight Symphony tour (2022) Tim is the first composer to have two shows produced back to back with Unfortunate at Southwark Playhouse Elephant and Cable Street at Southwark Playhouse Borough!
