Following two rounds of highly-competitive the cast for Bishopsgate Institute’s production of West Side Story, directed by Toby Hine and choreographed by Lemington Ridley, has been announced.
The role of Maria has gone to Emily McDouall and the role of Tony has gone to James Gower-Smith. Anita will be played by Victoria Greenway, Riff will be played by Luke Leahy, Bernardo will be played by Christopher Georgiou, Doc will be played by Stephen Hewitt, Krupke will be played by Drew Paterson, Schrank will be played by Will Howells, Velma will be played by Claire Pattie, Anybody’s will be played by Lauren Pears and Somewhere Girl will be played by Marsha Blake.
West Side Story is set on the streets of New York’s Upper West Side and explores the rivalry between two gangs, The Jets and The Sharks. Amidst all the gang warfare, Tony from The Jets falls in love with Maria, who is the sister of the leader of The Sharks. The dark themes, sophisticated music score and electric writing bring the story of Romeo and Juliet into the 20th century.
The Bishopsgate Institute production of West Side Story with full orchestra will be performed between 26 June and 1 July 2018 to celebrate the centennials of the birth of Leonard Bernstein, who composed West Side Story, and of Jerome Robbins, who directed and choreographed the original production.
This high-quality amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) and ties in seamlessly with themes highlighted in Bishopsgate Institute’s special collections and archives which contain images and materials exploring cultural tensions and post-war daily urban life in both New York and London.
This production is under amateur licence and the actors are amateurs, but the creative team and the orchestra are multi-award nominated professionals who have been invited to ensure the highest quality of experience for the cast and audience, in line with Bishopsgate Institute’s philosophy.
This production will be set in the stunning 120-year-old Great Hall at Bishopsgate Institute, performed in traverse with limited cabaret-style seating. Providing a rare opportunity to experience the show with a full 28-piece orchestration, played by the best professional musicians in an extraordinary setting, this will be an up close and personal performance as the streets of New York take over the Great Hall, with cast members weaving in and out of the audience as the show goes on.
