| Get Up, Stand Up! | |
|---|---|
| The Bob Marley Musical | |
 2021 West End poster | |
| Music | Bob Marley |
| Lyrics | Bob Marley |
| Book | Lee Hall |
| Basis | Life and music of Bob Marley |
| Premiere | 20 October 2021: Lyric Theatre, London |
| Productions | 2021 West End |
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical is a musical based on the life and music of Bob Marley written by Lee Hall.
The musical made its world premiere at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End on 20 October 2021, with previews from 1 October, starring Arinzé Kene as Bob Marley. [1] The musical was originally due to open on 6 February 2021, but was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [2]
In July 2020, it was announced that Clint Dyer had replaced Dominic Cooke as the production's director. [3] The musical is choreographed by Shelley Maxwell, with set design by Chloe Lamford, costume design by Lisa Duncan, lighting design by Charles Balfour, sound design by Tony Gayle, sound effect design by Ben Grant and video design by Tal Yarden. Musical supervision and arrangements are by Phil Bateman, wigs, hair and make-up by Campbell Young, orchestration by Simon Hale, musical direction by Sean Green, and casting direction by Pippa Ailion. [4]
The production was nominated for 4 Laurence Olivier Awards in 2022, including Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Kene. [5]
In March 2022, Michael Duke took over the role of Bob Marley. Duke was previously the role’s alternate until Arinzé Kene’s departure. [6]
On 4 August 2022, it was announced that the musical would make its final performance on 8 January 2023. [7]
| Character | West End (2021) |
|---|---|
| Bob Marley | Arinzé Kene |
| Alternate Bob Marley | Michael Duke |
| Rita Marley | Gabrielle Brooks |
| Cindy Breakspeare | Shanay Holmes |
| Judy Mowatt | Sophia Mackay |
| Marcia Griffiths / I Three | Melissa Brown-Taylor |
| Bunny Wailer | Jacade Simpson |
| Peter Tosh | Natey Jones |
|
|
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Arinzé Kene | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Gabrielle Brooks | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score or New Orchestrations | Simon Hale | Won | ||
The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT) within the UK and as the National Theatre of Great Britain internationally, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England. The theatre was founded by the actor Laurence Olivier in 1963, and many well-known actors have performed with it since.
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Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of the genre, Marley fused elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady in his music and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley's contribution to music increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture. Over the course of his career, Marley became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. He is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity, and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. He also supported legalisation of cannabis, and advocated for Pan-Africanism. In 1976, Marley survived an assassination attempt in his home, which was believed to be politically motivated.
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Gabrielle Brooks is an English actress. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. She began her career as a child actress in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind. She is creative director of the Mawa Theatre Company and producer of the interview series BlackStage UK.
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The Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance is an annual award presented since 2013 by the Evening Standard in recognition of achievement in British theatre.
The 63rd Evening Standard Theatre Awards were awarded in recognition of the 2016–17 London Theatre season on 3 December 2017 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The shortlist for the Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical was announced in October 2017, and the full list of nominees was announced in November 2017. The ceremony was presented by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and co-hosted by Cate Blanchett, Evgeny Lebedev, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anna Wintour.
The 2022 Laurence Olivier Awards were held on 10 April 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall and hosted by Jason Manford. They were the first Oliviers to be held since 2020 due to the complete shutdown of UK theatres in 2020/2021 as a result of lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this, the eligibility period was expanded from 19 February 2020 to 22 February 2022. The green carpet, hosted by Emma B, Angellica Bell, Frank DiLella and Anita Rani, was livestreamed on YouTube and the Olivier ceremony itself was broadcast in full on Magic with hosts Alice Arnold and Ruthie Henshall. Highlights from the show were broadcast on ITV.
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The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAS) are presented annually and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.
