The full creative team is now in place for the world premiere musical adaptation of The Book Thief at Bolton Octagon (September 17-October 15).
The production will be directed by the theatre's artistic director Lotte Wakeham (One Man Two Guvnors, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Peter Pan) and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves (Amélie; Rent), with musical direction and orchestrations by Matthew Malone (Coming To England, Peter Pan). Design is by Good Teeth aka James Perkins and Victoria Smart (The Winter’s Tale, Little Shop of Horrors).
The production will also feature lighting design by Nic Farman (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice; Spring Awakening), puppet design by Samuel Wilde (The Fir Tree, Electra) and sound design by Andy Graham (The Upstart Crow; One Man Two Guvnors).
Adapted from Markus Zusak’s worldwide best-selling novel, the hauntingly beautiful tale follows courageous young orphan Liesel as she enters a dangerous game of book thievery in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
The novel is brought to life with a script by award-winning author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper, Small Great Things) and Timothy Allen McDonald (adaptor of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and James and the Giant Peach), with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure; Central Park).
Jodi Picoult said: "As a novel The Book Thief has sold over 20 million copies and deeply moved readers all over the world. Having the chance to turn it into a world premiere musical is a dream for us."
Lotte Wakeham added: "It's one of my all-time favourite books. We've been busy workshopping the show over the past couple of years. It’s an incredibly relevant, moving story and I’m so happy to be staging it in our wonderful, newly refurbished theatre.
"Our creative team is members are all incredibly talented individuals who have already brought so many fantastic and imaginative ideas to the process. I’m confident we’re going to create a beautiful and timeless piece of musical theatre."
Info and tickets here