Spring Awakening, Aspects of Love, and World Premiere of ToyBoy Diaries Set for Hope Mill Theatre

The award-winning Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and Aria Entertainment will present the world premiere of the new British musical The ToyBoy Diaries, a new revival of the Tony-winning Spring Awakening, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love in 2018.

//assets.playbill.com/editorial/9e71f757f93cf0633c6ff40c299339d3-andrew-lloyd-webber-in-the-curtain-call-of-the-phantom-of-the-opera-at-the-royal-albert-hall.%20Photo%20Credit%20Dan%20Wooller.jpg — Andrew Lloyd Webber Dan Wooller

The ToyBoy Diaries, which has a book by Simon Warne, music and lyrics by Andy Collyer, and is based on the best-selling memoirs of Wendy Salisbury, will run January 18–February 10, 2018. Directed by Tania Azevedo, the new musical concerns twice-divorced Lily, who inadvertently finds herself with a much younger man, opening “the door to a wild new world of inappropriate relationships.”

Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s Tony-winning Spring Awakening will follow, running March 19–May 3. Luke Sheppard will direct an “intimate and bold new production.”

Lloyd Webber, Don Black, and Charles Hart's Aspects of Love, which tells the story of passion, love, and loss across three generations of a family, will be presented July 5–August 4. Jonathan O'Boyle will direct the musical, which features the standout hit “Love Changes Everything.”

Two additional productions to be announced at a later date will follow in autumn-winter of 2018.

It was also announced that Aria Entertainment's Katy Lipson will join Hope Mill Theatre co-founders Joseph Houston (artistic director and programmer) and William Whelton (executive producer) as artistic director for in-house musicals in addition to her current role as resident producer.

Lipson said in a statement, “I first stepped into Hope Mill Theatre just under two years ago and was blown away with what a beautiful space Joe and Will had taken on and created. It's an absolute honour to be joint artistic director of the venue; bringing my passion and knowledge of musical theatre and titles to the table as well as spearheading the venue as a leading producer of high quality musical theatre in Manchester, which is also my home town.

“I have enjoyed working with the theatre on taking our shows to new commercial levels in London and am extremely delighted to announce the first three shows of our 2018 season. The ToyBoy Diaries is an Aria Entertainment commission and world premiere, having been workshopped and developed in our annual From Page To Stage festival. Having worked with Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik on a concert of their work, we are delighted to be bringing Spring Awakening back to Manchester. To close the season we have the beautiful Aspects Of Love, by the most famous British composer of musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber, and it is an honor to share this diverse selection of work with you. We hope to continue to champion the genre and bring in audiences from far and wide.”

For more information visit hopemilltheatre.co.uk.