A one-night-only concert presentation of The Witches of Eastwick takes the stage at London's Sondheim Theatre June 20 under the direction of original cast member Maria Friedman.
Starring in the concert, as previously reported, are John Partridge (The View Upstairs) as Darryl Van Horne, Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella), Natasha J Barnes (Funny Girl), and Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) as Sukie, Alexandra, and Jane, respectively.
Alexandra (Alex), Sukie, and Jane, three women living in a small town dominated by local Felicia Gabriel, all share a desire for some excitement to spice up their mundane lives. Wishing for "all manner of man in one man," one arrives in a literal flash as the devilish Darry Van Horne. As Horne seduces them, the three women began to explore their powers in this comedic musical.
Also featured in the cast are Claire Moore (The Girls) as Felicia Gabriel, Nathan Amzi (In the Heights) as Clyde Gabriel, Alfie Friedman (Maria Friedman and Friends - Legacy) as Michael Spofford, and Chrissie Bhima (Lift) as Jennifer Gabriel. The ensemble includes Lydia Bannister, Isabel Canning, Aoife Dunn, Christopher Howell, Emma Knudsen, Martin McCarthy, Benjamin Mundy, Emily Ooi, Joshua Robinson, Rachel Spurrell and Rafe Watts. Accompanying the cast is The Guildford School of Acting Choir.
Featuring a book by and lyrics by John Dempsey (The Fix), with music by Dana P. Rowe (The Fix), the show is based on the John Updike novel and film adaptation of the same name. Musical staging is by Chrissie Cartwright, with associate direction by Jack McCann, and associate musical direction by Mike Steel. Also serving on the creative team are Isaac McCullough as musical director, Jonathan Lipman as costume designer, Simon Sherriff as lighting designer, Adam Fisher as sound designer. Jack Maple serves as producer of the concert, which is presented by arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.
Friedman said in a statement, “I’m so incredibly excited to be revisiting Eastwick after all these years. To be reunited with the fantastic Stephen Mear, and to have the opportunity to bring this beloved musical back to London, and at the simply stunning Sondheim Theatre, for one-night-only is an absolute thrill, and I can’t wait to get started.” Friedman is set to reprise her direction of Merrily We Roll Along when the British production transfers to Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop later this year.
The Witches of Eastwick's last major production on the London stage was its original run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2000, from which it transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre the following year.
