The West End premiere of the screen-to-stage musical adaptation of Big opened at London's Dominion Theatre September 17.
Stepping into the shoes of the original film star Tom Hanks is The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness as 12-year old Josh Baskin, the boy who wakes up to find himself in an adult’s body after making a wish to be bigger. Joining McGuiness in the cast are Wendi Peters (Coronation Street) as Mrs. Baskin, Girls Aloud’s Kimberly Walsh (Shrek) as Susan Lawrence, and Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly (Of Mice and Men) as George MacMillan.
Directed and choreographed by Morgan Young, Big has a book by John Weidman with music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby.
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The creative team also includes associate choreographer Helen Rymer, musical supervisor Stuart Morley, set and costume designer Simon Higlett, lighting designer Tim Lutkin, video designer Ian Galloway, and sound designers Terry Jardine and Avgoustos Psillas.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1996, running for six months at the Shubert Theatre. The musical was significantly revised ahead of a national tour the following year and eventually made its way to the U.K., including a 2016 production at Theatre Royal Plymouth starring McGuinness.
