Rose Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of Three Men in a Boat, a new comedy by Al Smith with original songs by Tony Award nominee Grant Olding, based on Jerome K. Jerome’s classic novel.
The production will run at Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames from 18 September to 10 October 2026, with a press performance on 23 September.
Directed by Rose Theatre Artistic Director Christopher Haydon, the production follows the success of Ava Pickett’s acclaimed adaptation of Emma.
Jonny Weldon will play Jerome, with Bronté Barbé as Harris, Richard David-Caine as George and Calum Donald-Bruce as Montmorency.
The comedy follows lifelong friends Jerome, George and Harris as they set off on a seemingly carefree boating holiday up the Thames from Kingston to Oxford.
Their adventure is soon derailed by torrential rain, eccentric dogs, rancid cheese and a host of increasingly chaotic encounters.
Described as a celebration of friendship and misadventure, the production combines Al Smith’s new adaptation with original songs by Grant Olding and physical comedy created by John Nicholson.
Christopher Haydon said: “This beloved novel is over 130 years old, and when I first read it I genuinely couldn’t believe how much it made me laugh! We commissioned Al Smith who has written a wonderful new stage adaptation, and what he’s come up with is very, very funny; it’s a mixture of verbal wit and physical comedy, and it’s going to be very moving as well. It’s just so brilliant to be telling a story that begins right here in Kingston upon Thames.
“We’ve brought on a brilliant composer in Grant Olding; whose work I loved on One Man, Two Guvnors. So, what had originally started out as a play has transformed into a play with songs. Grant is writing a series of comic musical numbers that also serve a key narrative purpose in the show.”
Movement Director and Comedy Consultant John Nicholson said: “There’s very little time that goes by in this show where something doesn’t go catastrophically wrong. Anyone that enjoys physical comedy, whether that’s the Marx Brothers or Laurel and Hardy or Steve Martin, will have a really great time.”
The creative team includes Grant Olding as Musical Director and Sound Designer, John Nicholson as Movement Director and Comedy Consultant, Simon Kenny as Set and Costume Designer, Simisola Majekodunmi as Lighting Designer, Juliet Horsley CDG as Casting Director, Chris Pirie as Puppetry Director, Claudette Williams as Voice and Dialect Coach and Rebecca Wear as Associate Director.
The production is supported by Kingston University, London.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
