The Boy in the Dress | |
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Music | |
Lyrics |
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Book | Mark Ravenhill |
Basis | The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams |
Premiere | 8 November 2019 : Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
Productions |
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The Boy in the Dress is a musical with music and lyrics by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Chris Heath and a book by Mark Ravenhill. The musical is based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by David Walliams. The story is about a twelve-year-old boy, Dennis, who enjoys wearing a dress and the reactions of his family and friends. [1] [2]
The musical is based on the 2008 novel The Boy in the Dress , which was written by David Walliams, with illustration by Quentin Blake. [3] The novel was previously adapted into a BBC television short film in 2014. [4]
In February 2018, Gregory Doran, artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, confirmed that the RSC was working with David Walliams on an undisclosed project. [5] In May 2018, the show was officially confirmed and received its world premiere in 2019 in Stratford-upon-Avon for the festive period. [6] The show has a book by playwright Mark Ravenhill and is directed by Gregory Doran. [6] The musical features an original score by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. [6]
The world premiere of the musical, presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company, began previews on 8 November 2019, with press night on 27 November 2019, and ran until 8 March 2020 at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. [7] The production was directed by Gregory Doran, designed by Robert Jones, choreographed by Aletta Collins and lighting designed by Mark Henderson.
On 22 August 2019 the initial adult casting was announced including Rufus Hound as Dad, Natasha Lewis as Darvesh's Mum, Forbes Masson as Mr Hawtrey and Irvine Iqbal as Raj. [8] The complete casting was announced on 9 September 2019. [9]
In an interview with WhatsOnStage.com, Doran revealed that the production was due to transfer to the Savoy Theatre in London's West End opening in autumn 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans were postponed. [10]
As of 2024, there are no plans to re-stage the production.
Character | Stratford-upon-Avon |
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2019 | |
Dennis | Oliver Crouch Jack Hobson Jackson Laing Tom Lomas Toby Mocrei |
Lisa James | Asha Banks Tabitha Knowles Miriam Nyarko |
Dad | Rufus Hound |
Mr Hawtrey | Forbes Masson |
Raj | Irvine Iqbal |
John | Alfie Jukes Zachary Loonie |
Darvesh | Ethan Dattani Shivain Kara-Patel Kassian Shae Ahktar Arjun Singh Khakh |
Darvesh's Mum | Natasha Lewis |
Oddbod | Ben Thompson |
Lorna | Charlotte Jaconelli |
Louise | Grace Wylde |
Mum / Miss Windsor | Charlotte Wakefield |
Miss Bresslaw | Christina Modestou |
Gareth | Alexander Moneypenny |
Big Mac | Max Gill |
Rory | Ryan Heenan |
St Kenneth's Captain | Jamie Tyler |
Maudlin Street Captain | David Birch |
Ensemble | Hannah Fairclough Ahmed Hamad Alim Jayda Clancy Ryan Cilla Silvia |
Swing | Jack Anthony Smart Georgie Westall |
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Keys
A cast recording featuring the original Stratford-upon-Avon cast was released on 4 December 2020 on CD, iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. It features 21 tracks including 2 bonus demo tracks "If I Don't Cry" and "A House Without A Mum" by co-songwriter Robbie Williams.
To launch the album, the RSC live streamed an event called The Boy in the Dress: A Celebration on 5 December 2020 which featured author David Walliams reading from the original novel and co-songwriter Guy Chambers performing songs with Toby Mocrei and Miriam Nyarko (reprising the roles of Dennis and Lisa James respectively). [11]
The musical's premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon received positive reviews from critics and audiences. It received five star reviews from The Independent, Financial Times, WhatsOnStage, Reviewshub and BroadwayWorld and four stars from The Guardian, The Observer, The Sun, Evening Standard and The Sunday Times.
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.
Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall CBE was an English theatre, opera and film director. His obituary in The Times declared him "the most important figure in British theatre for half a century" and on his death, a Royal National Theatre statement declared that Hall's "influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled". In 2018, the Laurence Olivier Awards, recognising achievements in London theatre, changed the award for Best Director to the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director.
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Guy Antony Chambers is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams.
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Mark Ravenhill is an English playwright, actor and journalist.
Alexandra Gilbreath is an English actress, born in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
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The Boy In The Dress is a comedic children's book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Quentin Blake, published in October 2008. It is the first book by Walliams, a television comedian best known for the cult BBC show Little Britain. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy called John and a twelve-year-old boy called Dennis who is encouraged by a rebellious friend to cross-dress and the reactions of his family, friends and school. It is aimed at readers aged eight to twelve, and has been adapted into a television film and a musical.
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