The new musical Lifeline will make its highly anticipated London premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 28 March to 2 May 2026.
The production arrives following an acclaimed Off Broadway debut, two sell out Edinburgh Fringe runs, and a history making performance at the United Nations in 2024.
Featuring music and lyrics by Robin Hiley and a book by Becky Hope Palmer, the show blends nostalgic Scottish folk influences with a contemporary musical theatre score. It follows two love stories set seventy years apart while tracing the profound impact of Fleming’s penicillin discovery on modern medicine.
The ten strong ensemble of West End and Broadway performers includes Alan Vicary, Maz McGinlay, Nathan Salstone, Kieran Brown, Helen Logan, Robbie Scott and Kelly Glyptis. The cast is completed by Hannah Visocchi, Jasmine Jules Andrews and Graham Richardson.
Uniquely, each performance will feature a different chorus of real life medical professionals, including scientists, nurses, microbiologists and doctors, who will appear alongside the professional company and six piece band.
Composer and lyricist Robin Hiley said: “Almost a century since the discovery of penicillin, and 80 years since Sir Alexander Fleming’s Nobel Prize address, his early warnings about antimicrobial resistance have never felt more prophetic. This timely musical is a celebration of the everyday people who make the extraordinary happen and a heartfelt love letter to the medical community: past, present and future. I hope audiences will be entertained, uplifted and feel connected to these realworld stories and the message it carries that affects us all.”
Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance and former Chief General Medical Officer for England added: “All of us have had our lives changed or saved by antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance affects all of us, but public awareness does not match the scale of the threat. LIFELINE is bringing the issues to life and showing that we can – and must – make a difference.”
The creative team is led by director Alex Howarth, with set design by Abby Clarke, costume design by Alice McNicholas, choreography by Leanne Pinder, lighting design by Matthew Craigen and sound design by Paul Smith.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
