Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre releases production images for its opening summer season show, a new production of the award-winning musical Once On This Island, which opens tonight and runs until Saturday 10 June 2023.
Directed by Ola Ince, Once On This Island has a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, and is based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy. 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.
A 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 includes: Gabrielle Brooks (Ti Moune), Stephenson Ardern-Sodje (Daniel), Courtney-Mae Briggs (Andrea), 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.
Completing the creative team are: 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).
