Paul Virides Productions today announces full casting for the world première production of the heart-warming, original musical Then, Now & Next, written by Christopher J Orton (My Land’s Shore) and Jon Robyns (currently playing the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera) in a first-time collaboration for the pair. The production opens at Southwark Playhouse, Borough on 28 June, with previews from 23 June, and runs until 29 July.
Julie Atherton directs Tori Allen-Martin, Justin Brett, Peter Hannah and Joaquin Pedro Valdes alongside the previously announced Alice Fearn. Ahead of previews, the cast will perform for the first time at this year’s West End Live on 17 and 18 June.
Joining the company are stage manager Zoe Leonard, assistant stage manager Odette Robertson, and sound technician Amber Carey. In the band are musical director and keys player Honor Halford-MacLeod, guitarist James William-Pattison, cellist Alice Luddington and percussionist Tom Bennett.
Paul Virides says today “Chris and Jon have written the most beautiful show, complemented perfectly by Ben’s stunning orchestrations. But no piece of theatre exists only on paper, and I’m thrilled at the team that have decided to jump in and join us on and off stage to give life to this 100% original, brand new British musical. Alice, Peter, Joaquin, Tori and Justin are individually and all together a fantastically talented group of people that bring so much to the table – and with Julie in the director’s chair, audiences at Southwark are in for a treat!”
Struggling with a difficult past, Alex Shaw is attempting to take steps forward. We follow her journey over twenty years, through two loves – young, adventurous idealist, Stephen, and the older, reliable and charming Peter – as she gathers the scattered chapters of her life, in the hope of re-building her story and asking if she will ever be more than just “fine”.Through Alex’s experiences, her uplifting story questions how relationships can change over time and explores what it takes to truly heal.Accept what was. Embrace what could be.
