Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, which features a cast of roller-skating actors playing an array of trains, begins performances at the specially designed Starlight Auditorium at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre June 8.
Luke Sheppard (& Juliet) directs the production,
which is set to officially open
June 30. Due to ticket demand, performances were previously extended through
February 16, 2025.
A History of Immersive Theatre on Broadway
The cast is led by Jeevan Braich as Rusty, Kayna Montecillo as Pearl, Jade Marvin as Momma McCoy, Al Knott as Greaseball, Eve Humphrey as Dinah, and Tom Pigram as Electra.
The company also includes Ollie
Augustin, Charles Butcher, Renz Cardenas, Catherine Cornwall, Jamie
Cruttenden, Kelly Downing, Asher Forth, Sam Gallacher, Lucy Glover,
Pablo Gómez Jones, Scott Hayward, Lilianna Hendy, Lewis Kidd, Hannah
Kiss, Oscar Kong, Emily Martinez, Deearna Mclean, Marianthe Panas, David
Peter-Brown, RED, Bethany Rose-Lythgoe, Ashley Rowe, Gary Sheridan,
Elly Shaw, Jessica Vaux, Jaydon Vijn, Lara Vina Uzcatia, Sharon Wattis, and Ashlyn Weekes.
In related news, to mark the 40th anniversary of the first performance of Starlight Express, highlights from the original cast recording were recently released on a special collector’s edition LP Zoetrope. The recording features Stephanie Lawrence, Frances Ruffelle, Jess Shankley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Ray Shell, plus a bonus track from the 1992 re-launch of the show in London.
In the musical, as a child’s train set magically comes to
life and the engines race to become the fastest in the world, Rusty the
steam train has little hope of winning until he is inspired by the
legend of the "Starlight Express."
Starlight Express is the second show produced by Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, the new partnership between composer Lloyd Webber and producer Michael Harrison. The first, the Broadway-bound minimalist Sunset Boulevard revival directed by Jamie Lloyd, was a hit at London's Savoy Theatre.
With music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, Starlight Express also has set design by Tim Hatley (Back to the Future), video design by Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi), costume design by Gabriella Slade (Six), lighting design by Howard Hudson (& Juliet), sound design by Gareth Owen (MJ the Musical),
new orchestrations by Matthew Brind, musical supervision by Brind and
David Wilson, and new choreography by Ashley Nottingham (Pacific Overtures) with Arlene Phillips as the creative dramaturg. Casting is by Pearson Casting.
Lloyd Webber said in an earlier statement, “I am thrilled that Starlight Express will be powering down the tracks again. The world's first truly immersive musical will this time be an experience like no other. Watch out for the big new plot twist, and you will discover why steam power is the future of the railway.”
Sheppard added, “Nothing comes close to the thrill of Starlight Express, and it’s a privilege to be directing this brand-new production, which will bring audiences right up close to all the music, the wonder and the action that makes this show so iconic. We hope it will take London by storm all over again, and be both a celebration of this legendary work, as well as passing the train set to a new generation in a big, bold, and reimagined way. We can’t wait to get our skates on!"
After its London premiere, Starlight Express opened on Broadway March 15, 1987, playing 22 previews and 761 regular performances at the Gershwin. The musical was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It won the Tony for John Napier's costume designs.
In the musical, a child’s train set magically comes to life, and the engines race to become the fastest in the world. Rusty the steam train has little hope of winning until he is inspired by the legend of the "Starlight Express." Songs include "AC/DC," "Make Up My Heart," "Light at the End of the Tunnel," and the title tune.
Visit StarlightExpressLondon.com.
