The Grinning Man (musical)

The Grinning Man
Artwork for the West End production
Music	Tim Phillips Marc Teitler
Lyrics	Carl Grose Tom Morris Tim Phillips Marc Teitler
Book	Carl Grose
Basis	The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo
Premiere	20 October 2016 (2016-10-20): Bristol Old Vic
Productions	2016 Bristol 2017 West End 2022 Moscow 2024 Melbourne

The Grinning Man is a tragicomic musical based on Victor Hugo's 1869 novel The Man Who Laughs with a book by Carl Grose, music by Tim Phillips, Marc Teitler and lyrics by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler.

Production history

Bristol (2016)

The musical made its world premiere at the Bristol Old Vic, beginning previews from 13 October, with a press night on 20 October, for a limited run until 13 November 2016. The production was directed by Tom Morris, set designed by Jon Bausor, costume designed by Jean Chan, movement direction by Jane Gibson, lighting design by Richard Howell, sound design by Simon Baker, with puppetry direction and design by Gyre & Gimble (Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié). ^[1]

London (2017-18)

Following the success of the Bristol run, the musical transferred to the Trafalgar Studios (Studio 1) in London's West End beginning previews from 5 December, with a press night on 18 December 2017. ^{[2] [3]} The production ended its extended run on 5 May 2018.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced the Bristol Old Vic would stream an archive recording of the production (featuring the original Bristol cast) on YouTube from 26 June to 3 July 2020. ^[4]

The playtext was published by Samuel French, Inc. on 5 May 2021.

Moscow (2022)

On 4 February 2022, an opening reading of the musical took place, the musical made its world premiere in Moscow at the Yauza Palace, beginning previews from 23 September, with opening night on 21 October.

Melbourne (2024)

On 19 December 2023, it was announced that the production would make its international premiere at Alex Theatres St Kilda, beginning previews from 25 April, with opening night on 2 May. The run is expected to end 19 May. This production combines elements from both the Bristol and West End productions.

Cast and characters

Character	Bristol (2016) [5]	West End (2017)	Moscow (2022) [6]	Melbourne (2024) [7]
Grinpayne	Louis Maskell		Pavel Stukalov / Yaroslav Bayarunas / Aleksey Petrov	Maxwell Simon
Osric / Young Grinpayne	N/A	N/A	Pavel Stukalov / Andranik Petrosyan	Matthew Hearne
Barkilphedro	Julian Bleach		Ruslan Gerasimenko / Denis Saraikin / Aleksey Petrov	Jennifer Vuletic
Ursus	Sean Kingsley		Andrey Shkoldychenko / Denis Saraikin	Dom Hennequin
Duchess Josiana	Gloria Onitiri	Amanda Wilkin	Galina Bezruk / Galina Shimanskaya / Julia Oleynik	Melanie Bird
Dea	Audrey Brisson	Sanne Den Besten	Vilena Sokolova / Daria Yanvarina	Luisa Scrofani
Young Dea	N/A	N/A	N/A	Lilly Cascun
Osric the Freak-Wrangler of Stokes Croft / Lord Hazlitt Trelaw	Ewan Black		Pavel Stukalov / Andranik Petrosyan	N/A
Mojo Head / Archbishop Kupsak	Stuart Angell	James Alexander-Taylor	Aleksandr Kazakov / Andrey Shkoldychenko / Andrey Yezhov	N/A
Mojo / Cellist	N/A	N/A	Ruslan Gerasimenko / Andrey Abeltsev	Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward
Lord David Dirry-Moir	Stuart Neal	Mark Anderson	Nikita Radchenko / Igor Skripko / Artem Eliseev	Anthony Craig
Queen Angelica	Patrycja Kujawska	Julie Atherton	Anastasiya Makarova / Olga Vecherik	Stephanie Astrid John
King Clarence	Sean Kingsley	Jim Kitson / David Bardsley	Denis Saraikin / Andrey Shkoldychenko	Dom Hennequin
Lady Trelaw / Quake	Gloria Obianyo	Sophia Mackay	Julia Oleynik / Daria Burlyukalo	Shelley Dunlop
Lord Trelaw / Guitarist	N/A	N/A	N/A	Luke Leong-Tay
Mojo Body / Frozen Woman	Alice Barclay	Loren O'Dair	N/A	N/A
Ensemble	N/A	Christina Bloom	Julia Oleynik / Daria Burlyukalo / Kristina Tolmacheva	N/A
Ensemble	N/A	Jonathan Cobb	Aleksandr Kazakov / Andrey Abeltsev	N/A
Ensemble	N/A	Leo Elso	Aleksandr Sharabarin	N/A
Ensemble	N/A	Claire-Marie Hall	Valeriya Morar / Daria Marincheva	N/A

Song list

Act I "Grab It By The Horn (Pre Show)" - Hans And The Bleeding Cheeks, Company Musicians "Laughter Is The Best Medicine" - Barkilphedro, King Clarence, Josiana, Dirry-Moir, Angelica, Company "Show Us Your Face" - Mother, Grinpayne, Company "The Mothers Song" - Mother, Grinpayne "Hymn Of The Hanged" - Trelaw, Grinpayne "Cry Of Pain" - Grinpayne "Stars In The Sky" - Ursus "Blind To Nothing" - Dea, Ursus, Grinpayne "Beauty And The Beast" - Grinpayne, Dea "Weep Oh Weep" - Kupsak, Company "Somethings Going To Change" - Queen Angelica, Kupsak, Company "Never Seen A Face Like This" - Dirry-Moir, Josiana "Born Broken" - Dea, Grinpayne, Ursus "I Am The Freak Show" - Grinpayne "Roll Up!" - Company "Josiana's Letter" - Josiana, Grinpayne "A Scar Is Born!" - Grinpayne, Company

Act II "Labyrinth" - Grinpayne "Only a Clown/Give Me Back My Mother (Reprise)" - Barkilphedro, Trelaw, King Clarence, Mother, Grinpayne, Ursus "Brand New World Of Feeling" - Grinpayne, Josiana "The Smiling Song" - Grinpayne, Company "A New Beginning" - Grinpayne, Queen Angelica, Josiana, Dirry-Moir, Company "Burn Down The Fair" - Barkilphedro, Quake, Company Finale: "The Last Kiss" "Revenge And Mercy" "The Smile In Your Face" "Beauty And The Beast" "New Royal Motto" - Grinpayne, Dea, Josiana, Queen Angelica, Dirry-Moir, Barkilphedro, Mother, Trelaw, Company "Stars In The Sky (Reprise)" - Grinpayne, Dea, Ursus, Company

A cast recording was released on 13 July 2018, featuring the Original London Cast, which contained 19 songs from the show, including a bonus track 'Only a Clown', recorded by Julian Bleach.

Reception

The Grinning Man received mostly positive reviews, with The Guardian calling it "a fabulously theatrical conceit" and giving it four out of five stars, ^[8] and The Stage calling it "unusual yet enticing". ^[9] However, the Evening Standard gave it two out of five stars, citing the "dismayingly unclear" narrative and "largely unmemorable" music and singing. ^[10]

References

1. "The Grinning Man". Gyre & Gimble. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
2. Armitstead, Claire (31 December 2017). "The Grinning Man review – the greatest freakshow in town". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 7 January 2018.
3. Naylor, Gary. "BWW Review: THE GRINNING MAN, Trafalgar Studios". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
4. Ltd, Supercool (17 June 2020). "The Grinning Man". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
5. "Bristol Old Vic | West End stars lead the cast for new British musical premiering this autumn at Bristol Old Vic". www.bristololdvic.org.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
6. "The Grinning man".
7. "The Grinning Man AU Program" (PDF).
8. Armitstead, Claire (31 December 2017). "The Grinning Man review – the greatest freakshow in town". the Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
9. Shenton, Mark (26 January 2018). "Is The Grinning Man part of a new golden age for West End musicals?". The Stage. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
10. Mountford, Fiona (19 December 2017). "Trafalgar Studio's new play The Grinning Man will give you the creeps". Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 October 2018.