Many of this year’s Olivier Award nominated shows may have already enjoyed incredible journeys across the capital but, as nominees at the 2015 Nominees Lunch have suggested, further transfers for shows including King Charles III, Sunny Afternoon and City Of Angels could be in the pipeline.
The Almeida Theatre’s six-time nominated production of Mike Bartlett’s future history play King Charles III and the Hampstead Theatre’s five nod-boasting Sunny Afternoon are hoping to follow their West End transfers with international journeys.
Talking to Official London Theatre at the Haymarket Hotel, where the Olivier Awards nominees’ celebration was held earlier this week, King Charles III director Rupert Goold said: “I feel like it’s been announced. It looks pretty likely that we’re heading to Broadway. Most thrillingly we’re hoping to take pretty much all the English cast with us. Katie [Brayben] is the only one who’s definitely not free.”
Sunny Afternoon writer Joe Penhall, meanwhile, suggests that The Kinks musical is more likely to head to other parts of the world. “There are plans to do it in other countries. We’re always talking about New York but there are no concrete plans yet. There are more concrete plans for the Far East, Australia and Japan.”
For London-based theatre fans, there were intriguing hints about West End-bound productions courtesy of musical nominees Robert Jones and Brandon Victor Dixon.
Josie Rourke’s recent production of City Of Angels, which is up for five awards at this year’s ceremony, may live on in London if Jones, the show’s designer, gets his wish: “We hope [it will transfer]. So many people still want to see it; it deserves to be in the West End. It’s getting those people back together, but it’s always possible. Everyone would love it to live on.”
The Scottsboro Boys star Dixon recently starred in Motown The Musical in New York and indicated that the Broadway hit, which features music from legendary artists including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson, is heading our way, saying “The London transfer definitely will happen.”
According to Motown The Musical’s website, the show is due to arrive in the West End this spring.
