| 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]
In October 2022, Duke won Best Male Actor in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards. The ceremony was held at the National Theatre in London. [8]
| 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 | ||
My Fair Lady is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on the 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion, concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her.
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.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and on tour across the UK and internationally.
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.
The Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
Dominic Cooke is an English director and writer.
Paul Arditti is a British sound designer, working mainly in the UK and the US. He specialises in designing sound systems and sound scores for theatre. He has won awards for his work on both musicals and plays, including a Tony Award, an Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award and a BroadwayWorld.com Fans' Choice Award for Billy Elliot the Musical.
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Arinzé Mokwe Kene is a Nigerian-born British actor and playwright.
Lesli Margherita is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for originating the roles of Inez in the musical Zorro, for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award, and Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway cast of Matilda the Musical.
One Love: The Bob Marley Musical previously titled Marley is a stage musical based on the life and music of Bob Marley, written by Kwame Kwei-Armah.
Misty is a 2018 play by Arinzé Kene. Directed by Omar Elerian, the piece opened at the Bush Theatre, London with an opening night on 21 March 2018, following previews from 15 March. The production closed on 21 April 2018 With the support of Luti Media, the production transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in the West End, opening on 8 September 2018. It was initially scheduled to play until 20 October, but extended its run to 17 November 2018.
The Off West End Theatre Awards, nicknamed The Offies, were launched in 2010 to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent Off West End theatres across London. Over 80 theatres participate in the awards, with more than 400 productions being considered annually by a team of 40 assessors, with the winners chosen by a select panel of critics.
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.
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.
Rebecca Frecknall is a British theatre director best known for directing the 2021 West End revival of Cabaret starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. The show received the 2022 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and Frecknall was named Best Director, taking home both the Olivier Award and Critics' Circle Award. She is also associate director at the Almeida Theatre where she directed Summer & Smoke, Three Sisters,The Duchess of Malfi, A Streetcar Named Desire and Romeo and Juliet. Her direction of Summer & Smoke first brought her critical acclaim and showcased her ability to re-invent old works in new ways. The production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2019, with Frecknall also nominated for the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director. In 2023 she was listed by The Stage as the 13th most influential person in the theatre.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAS) are presented annually and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.
