An industry workshop presentation of new jukebox musical Smalltown Boy will take place in London this spring, featuring an all star ensemble of West End talent including Aimie Atkinson, Grace Mouat and Jo Foster.
Producers Smalltown Boy Musical Ltd and Curious George & Mighty Joe Productions, in association with Wildwood Entertainment and James Steel Productions, will present the invite only show on Friday 13 March at @sohoplace.
With a book by Jeffrey Fischer Smith and music direction and orchestrations by Mark Crossland, Smalltown Boy is set to the iconic soundscape of the 1980s New Wave era. The musical explores love, rebellion and the search for belonging through the story of a teenage runaway in New York’s East Village during the summer of 1983.
As the AIDS crisis begins to take hold, the young protagonist is drawn into the underground scene. The show features 22 classic tracks from the period including Smalltown Boy, Tainted Love, This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody), Always and True Colors.
The workshop cast includes Aimie Atkinson as Jenny New Wave, Benjamin Cameron as Simon, Rosanna Hyland as Madga, Rob Fowler as John, Aonghas Ewen as Scotty, Adam Filipe as Max, Jack Butterworth as Robbie, Grace Mouat as Julia, Kat Ronney as Lisa, Jo Foster as Deeds, Lucca Chadwick Patel as Rick, Liv Andrusier as Thal and Olly Manley as Dave.
The creative team also includes dramaturg Ken Cerniglia, general manager James Steel Productions, sound designer Chris Whybrow and casting director Harry Blumenau Casting.
Speaking about the project, Jeffrey Fischer Smith said, “Smalltown Boy was born out of a deep love for the music and spirit of the 1980s a time of extraordinary creativity and profound loss. This music defined a generation. Our hope is to honour its emotional power while telling a story that is urgent and contemporary. At its heart, this is a story about young people finding family when the world feels uncertain. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with this extraordinary creative team as we take the next step in bringing the piece to the stage.”
