Carnaby Street, a new musical starring Sid Owen and Verity Rushworth that celebrates London in the swinging 60s, launched in the capital today.
Featuring over 30 iconic tunes from the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who, the musical will debut at London’s Hackney Empire in east London on 6 April, where it will reside for two weeks. The production will then tour the length and breadth of England, including stops in Hastings, Manchester and Birmingham.
The storyline centres on Jude, a young, sprightly Liverpudlian who heads to the big smoke with little but a guitar to his name to pursue fame and fortune.
At the helm of the production is Bob Tomson, director of Blood Brothers and Dreamboats and Petticoats. Written by music exec Carl Leighton-Pope, the story is semi-autobiographical.
” I was 18 in 1964 and all the characters in this musical are people I met at the time,” he explained. “Carnaby Street was somewhere everyone went on a Saturday to hang out with the other mods and the rock stars of the day.
“It was a time of great optimism and the Carnaby Street musical truly represents this life-changing era.”
Its leads are best known for their work in two of Britain’s flagship soaps; Owen as the iconic Ricky Butcher in the former; Rushworth as Donna Windsor in the latter. They are joined by a cast that includes Tricia Adele-Turner, Mark Pearce, Paul Hazel, Hugo Harold-Harrison and Gregory Clarke.
April
6-14 – Hackney Empire, London
16-20 – Wycombe Swan Theatre, High Wycombe
22-27 – Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl
29-04 – White Rock Theatre, Hastings
May
07-11 – Theatre Royal, Windsor
14-18 – Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells
20-25 Opera House Manchester, Manchester
27-01 Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
June
03-08 New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
10-15 The Alban Arena, St Albans
25-29 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
