This is London Magazine May Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 24
Photo: Johann Persson
24
FINAL EXTENSION OF HERCULES
AT THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE
Disney Theatrical Group have
announced the company for the final
extension of Hercules at Theatre Royal
Drury Lane, where the production will
continue its run through to 5 September.
The cast is led by Bradley Gibson in the
title role, joined by Leslie Beehan, Mimy
Durrand, Candace Furbert, Malinda
Parris, Paige Peddie, Mae Ann Jorolan
and Emilie Ruddock as the Muses.
The stage adaptation is inspired by
Disney’s 1997 animated film and
features music by Alan Menken, lyrics
by David Zippel, and a book by Robert
Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, with
co-direction and choreography by Casey
Nicholaw and Tanisha Scott. The original
film, directed by John Musker and Ron
Clements, received an Academy Award
nomination for Best Original Song for
‘Go the Distance’.
Since premiering in London, the
production has continued Disney
Theatrical Group’s long-standing
presence in the West End, combining
large-scale staging with contemporary
reinterpretations of the studio’s animated
catalogue.
www.herculesthemusical.co.uk
BRAINIAC LIVE – AWARD WINNING
FAMILY SHOW
The 2025 Olivier Award-winning
BEST FAMILY SHOW, science’s greatest
and most volatile live show Brainiac
Live, opens for its limited season at the
West End’s Garrick Theatre from Sunday
26 July – Sunday 30 August. Packed
with thrilling experiments and mindblowing demonstrations, the show is a
fast-paced celebration of science that
promises liquid nitrogen clouds, vortex
smoke rings, exploding hydrogen
balloons, spinning CO chairs and
spectacular surprises along the way.
Based on the popular TV show owned
by ITV Studios, Brainiac Live has played
to packed houses across the UK,
headlined major science festivals, and
toured internationally from Dubai to
Australia.
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
DARK OF THE MOON
The world premiere of Dark of the
Moon, based on the classic 1941 play
by Howard D Richardson and William
Berney, is playing at Charing Cross
Theatre until 8 August. Directed by
Georgie Rankcom, the musical features a
book by Emmy® Award nominee
Jonathan Prince and music and lyrics by
Grammy® Award-winning and multiplatinum songwriters Lindy Robbins,
Dave Bassett and Steve Robson.
Dark of the Moon is a supernatural
tale of powerful witchcraft, small-town
prejudices and the power of love. This
timeless, spellbinding new musical
portrays the clash of two dynamically
polarised worlds – a charming rural
Appalachian town and the mystical world
of witches and warlocks from the Smoky
Mountains that loom high above. The
show’s unique musical score reflects
those conflicting worlds using a thrilling
blend of country/bluegrass and rock.
Barbara Allen, a human girl and John, a
curious witch-boy, find each other and
defy their communities to build a life
together. But will love conquer all, or
will they be haunted by a deal that was
made by the dark of the moon?
Originally written by Howard
Richardson and William Berney while
students at the University of Iowa in the
early 1940s, Dark of the Moon is loosely
inspired by the traditional Scottish
ballad Barbara Allen. Following its
original Broadway production by the
Shubert Organisation, the play has been
widely produced internationally and has
attracted notable performers and
directors including Paul Newman,
George C. Scott, Cicely Tyson and
James Earl Jones.
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