Today, at a breakfast in Dublin, producers Anne Clarke (Landmark Productions) and Paul Fahy (Galway International Arts Festival) officially announced details of the World Premiere production of Breakfast on Pluto, A New Irish Musical.
Ever since a small audience got a glimpse of a work-in-progress showing last summer in Galway, excitement has been building around this brand new musical, which will play 120 performances in 4 cities, in 2 countries over 5 months.
Written by Bob Kelly (Tintown), with an extraordinary musical score composed by renowned songwriter and performer Duke Special, this eagerly-anticipated new production will be directed by Des Kennedy (Good Vibrations / International Associate Director, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The sterling creative team also includes Musical Director, Arranger, Orchestrator Jennifer Whyte, Choreographer Jennifer Rooney, Set and Costume Designer Katie Davenport and Lighting Designer Sinéad McKenna.
The role of Patrick/Pussy will be played by Fra Fee (Translations – National Theatre, The Ferryman – Royal Court Theatre, West End and Broadway, and the film version of Les Misérables) in this dazzling musical of self-discovery. He will be joined by Niamh Perry (Good Vibrations – Lyric; Mamma Mia and Love Never Dies – West End), David Ganly (On Blueberry Hill, Girl from the North Country – West End), Kate Gilmore (Town is Dead – Abbey Theatre, Fair City – RTÉ) and Rickie O’Neill (Once – Olympia; The Saw Doctors). Full cast details will be announced in the coming weeks. MD Jennifer Whyte leads a crack band of 4 multi-instrumentalists, who will play live on stage.
Producer Anne Clarke (Landmark Productions) said: ‘It’s been three years in the making, and today we are thrilled to announce the world premiere of a brilliant new Irish musical. We are grateful to Patrick McCabe for embracing the possibility of making a musical from his groundbreaking novel, with its unique and inspirational protagonist, and thrilled to be working with such phenomenal artists as Bob Kelly, Duke Special and Des Kennedy to tell this very Irish, but deeply universal, story. We are grateful to the Arts Council for supporting the development and production of the work; to our regular co-producing partners Galway International Arts Festival, where the world premiere performance will take place; to our new co-producing partners Birmingham Repertory Theatre, who today announce a wideranging season of work as part of Sean Foley’s first full season as artistic director; to our London partners the Donmar Warehouse; and to our presenting partners in the Olympia Theatre. It’s a pretty extraordinary road ahead for a new musical, even before the first note is sung. What a journey it promises to be.’
Tickets for performances of Breakfast on Pluto at the Donmar Warehouse will go on sale soon.
