Alice Fearn to star in world premiere of new musical THEN, NOW & NEXT

It has been announced that the world première production of the heart-warming, original musical Then, Now & Next, written by Christopher J Orton (My Land’s Shore) and Jon Robyns (currently playing the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera) will play at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 23 June-29 July.

Directed by Julie Atherton (Avenue Q, Ordinary Days), the production will star Alice Fearn (Come From Away, Wicked), with further casting to be announced.

Struggling with a difficult past, Alex Shaw is attempting to take steps forward. We follow her journey over twenty years, through two loves – young, adventurous idealist, Stephen, and the older, reliable and charming Peter –  as she gathers the scattered chapters of her life, in the hope of re-building her story and asking if she will ever be more than just “fine”.

Through Alex’s experiences, her uplifting story questions how relationships can change over time and explores what it takes to truly heal.

Accept what was. Embrace what could be.

Christopher J Orton and Jon Robyns said: “We started work on early drafts of this show together almost ten years ago, and eagerly revisited it in April 2020. It got us both through lockdown with no expectation of the show turning into what it is today. We came out the other side with a piece that speaks to how we all feel now about moving forward and what it means to belong.

“We are strong advocates of new, original British musicals, and are delighted to have our debut show produced at Southwark Playhouse; a proven breeding ground for new innovative writing. Alice Fearn has beautifully embodied the character of Alex Shaw through several workshops, and we’re extremely excited for audiences to see her bring this brand-new musical to the stage for the first time.”

Julie Atherton adds: “I’m beyond excited and feeling very lucky to be working with such an innovative and passionate creative team on this beautiful moving story written by my old friends and colleagues, Jon & Chris. I just can’t wait to get in that rehearsal room.”

The production features orchestrations, arrangements and musical supervision by Ben Goddard-Young, with musical direction by Honor Halford-MacLeod, movement direction by Alexzandra Sarmiento, set and costume design by Bob Sterrett, lighting by Adam King, and sound by Raffaela Pancucci.

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