Belgrade brings West End star to West Midlands in new musical

15/08/2013

The Belgrade Theatre’s autumn season will get off to an explosive start as its brand new musical The Prodigals: A Man Had Two Sons bursts on to the Main Stage from Fri 30 Aug to Sat 14 Sept, starring acclaimed West End actor Simon Bowman.

With its roots in the tale of the prodigal son, The Prodigals is set in a modern-day military environment in which Colonel Luke Gibson, a father who is trying to balance his love for his two very different sons. One has been fighting for Queen and country in Afghanistan, whilst the other has hit rock bottom after touring the country with his drug fuelled band.

From its explosive choreographic opening on patrol in Helmand Province, through the comic absurdities of Kyle’s drug-induced hallucinations, The Prodigals drives this extraordinary tale on with original music and dance and a script that challenges us to explore the toughest of emotional battlegrounds.

The Prodigals is a developed version of a critically acclaimed workshop production that premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011. It will feature a range of eclectic, original songs ranging from high energy, electronic beats to epic, rock ballads. It also features some inventive choreography; covering a range of styles including sequences of dramatic street dance.

The Belgrade’s Creative Associate Joe Harmston, will be directing the show, which he also co-wrote alongside creative producer Ray Goudie.

Joe said, “We are so pleased to be opening The Prodigals at the Belgrade. It is the perfect theatre and audience for the piece and its record as the starting place for so much exciting work is building season by season. To have all the support of The Belgrade and now this incredibly talented cast led by Simon is the perfect start to this adventure. The show was very well received at The Edinburgh Festival and we hope this new and greatly developed version will inspire and challenge audiences even more.”

Celebrated West End star Simon Bowman will play the role of Colonel Luke Gibson. Originally from Cardiff, Simon won widespread acclaim when he created the role of Chris in the original West End production of Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Some of his other West End credits include Les Miserables, which was directed by Trevor Nunn, The Phantom of the Opera, Mack & Mabel and Tim Rice’s rock opera Blondel.

The cast also includes Sarah Watson, who many will recognise from the 2011 series of The X-Factor, where she was one of the chosen few invited to sing for judge Kelly Rowland at her house in Miami.

 

The Prodigals comes hot on the heels of the Belgrade’s hugely successful Marc Bolan musical, 20th Century Boy, which played to packed audiences in September last year.

Tickets for The Prodigals are available now from the box office on 024 7655 3055 priced from £18.25 to £31.25 or via www.belgrade.co.uk where cheaper tickets are available.