25 September 2024
Newsdesk
See the stunning production shots for TALAWA’s jazz-infused musical Play On! available ahead of their opening tomorrow, Thursday 26th, to kick off their tour.
At the heart of Talawa’s 2024 Black Joy season, these production shots capture the vibrant 1940s New York jazz scene, with West End talent in toe-tapping glitz and glam - as ever in line with TALAWA’s mission, championing black voices.
This exciting jazz musical is conceived by Sheldon Epps, with a book by Cheryl L. West. In the Cotton Club, New York City, a young songwriter arrives ready to make her name – but disguising herself as a man will give her a better shot in a male-dominated music world. As she meets club owner The Duke and sensational singer Lady Liv, Vy is swept up in a syncopated symphony of melodies, mistaken identities and romance.
Play On! is directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong (A Kind of People, Royal Court; Guys and Dolls, Talawa); Kenrick Sandy (Artistic Associate, Barbican; Boy Blue; Free Your Mind, Aviva Studios) is the Choreographer; and Liam Godwin (The Big Life, Theatre Royal Stratford East; West End Musical Christmas, Adelphi Theatre; Bat Boy, London Palladium) is the Musical Supervisor.
Play On! will tour to the Belgrade Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from September 2024 – February 2025. Play On! is produced by Talawa Theatre Company and Belgrade Theatre,
Coventry in partnership with J Clare Productions and Chuchu Nwagu Productions, with co-producers Birmingham Hippodrome; Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres; Lyric Hammersmith Theatre; and Wiltshire Creative, Salisbury. Talawa and partners are proud that Play On! will provide opportunities for mid-career global majority talent to work on a large-scale production and tour. In line with Talawa’s commitment to platforming African diaspora actors and creatives, the season’s Associate Programme and seed commissions address under-representation in the sector.
The partners are committed to supporting Black artists to create theatre across the country.
Play On! is at the heart of Talawa’s 2024 Black Joy season, which is generously supported by Arts Council England and National Lottery.
