HOW TO WIN AGAINST HISTORY Sets Creative Team and Edinburgh Festival Fringe Run

Francesca Moody Productions and Bristol Old Vic announced the creative team for their new expanded co-production of hit Edinburgh Fringe musical How To Win Against History which will premiere at Bristol Old Vic from 19 June – 12 July.

The production will then move to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 30 July – 24 August in a run in association with Underbelly in the Udderbelly at George Square. Tickets are on sale at Underbelly now and will go on sale with EdFringe on 12 March.

This marks the second collaboration between the Olivier-winning producers and the world- renowned Bristol theatre after taking audiences by storm with the upscaled Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! which opened at Bristol Old Vic in Autumn 2023 ahead of a sell-out West End run in 2024. Now they join forces once more to tell the cautionary tale of Henry Cyril Paget, one of the world's wealthiest men, who lost his fortune by being too damn fabulous.

The 5th Marquis of Anglesey blew his family's colossal fortune on diamond frocks, lilac-dyed poodles and putting on simply amazing plays – to which nobody came – causing a very Edwardian scandal. His fabulous flame burned brightly, briefly and extremely cross-dressingly until he died at just 29, after which his outraged family destroyed every record of him every having existed. Now Henry's back, with nothing to his name but savage wit, banging belters and a metric tonne of sparkle.

This fierce and tragi-gorgeous comedy musical is a true story about expectations, masculinity, privilege and failure on an epic scale. It's about feeling desperately weird and alone but knowing that to fit in would cost you everything. 
 
How To Win Against History was the solid gold, diamante-studded hit of Edinburgh Fringe 2016, widely acclaimed by the critics and winner of The Stage Edinburgh Award. Now Bristol Old Vic and the Olivier Award-winning producers of Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Fleabag and Baby Reindeer are bringing it back, bigger and more sparkly than ever for 2025, marking the 150th anniversary of Paget's birth.

He's having a bit of a moment, and you're all invited to his fabulous party. 

Book Music and Lyrics are by Seiriol Davies who also stars as Henry Paget. Bringing this ripped-up musical to life is Director Lisa Spirling (Wagatha Christie – West End and National tour) who leads a creative team including Set Designer Hayley Grindle (Animal Farm – Leeds Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East), Olivier Award-nominated Costume Design Ryan Dawson Laight (My Son's a Queer… – Broadway and West End; La Cage Aux Folles – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Lighting Designer Robbie Butler (Punch – Young Vic; Reverberation – Bristol Old Vic), Sound Designer Dan Samson (Heathers – West End; Lady Chatterley's Lover – Shaftesbury Theatre), Musical Director & Co-Orchestrator Dylan Townley (How To Win Against History – Young Vic/UK Tour; Austentatious – Piccadilly Theatre) and Musical Supervisor & Co-orchestrator Leo Munby (Gypsy – Manchester Royal Exchange).

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