Rebecca 2023
Ages: 12+
Opened: September 18, 2023Closing: November 18, 2023
Rebecca - 2023 West End History , Info & More
Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches Villiers Street London
‘Rebecca’, by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, two of the most successful German-language musical theatre composers, had its world premiere at the VBW-theatre Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria, in September 2006, where it went on to play to sold-out houses in three seasons, and where it is currently enjoying a successful revival.
Rebecca, with an orchestra of 18, will be directed by Alejandro Bonatto (director of the critically acclaimed production of Donizetti’s ‘Rita’ and the upcoming production of Francis Poulanc and Jean Cocteau’s ‘The Human Voice’ at Charing Cross Theatre later this month).
It has a new English translation by Christopher Hampton (two-time Tony Award winner Best Score & Best Book for ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ & ‘The Father’) and Michael Kunze.
Rebecca, with 22 original songs, is a gripping thriller full of intrigue and surprises that sticks closely to the original novel. Wealthy Maxim De Winter brings his naïve new wife home to his Cornish estate, Manderley, where the manipulative housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, resents the new wife’s intrusion. She persuades her that she is an unworthy replacement for the first Mrs. De Winter, the glamorous and mysterious Rebecca, who perished in a drowning accident, with tragic results...
The world-famous novel was also turned into a celebrated Alfred Hitchcock film in 1940, starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders and Gladys Cooper. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning two awards; Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Rebecca
'Rebecca' review — an ambitious musical adaptation of du Maurier's classic novel
6 / 10
Ultimately, this production of Rebecca needs some smoothing out. Sometimes, large-scale musicals can work better in a more intimate setting, such as From Here To Eternity, which ran at the same theatre last year, eight years after it ran in the West End. Kunze and Levay's musical feels like it should be performed on a grander scale (think Phantom of the Opera), which makes this production feel limited in what it can achieve.
Rebecca review
4 / 10
The score isn’t really the problem here; nor are Kunze and Hampton’s lyrics, though they are pedestrian at best. Bonatto directs with a peculiar lack of imagination, struggling to find the right tone. Proceedings are irrevocably hindered by Nicky Shaw’s unwieldy set design, with ill-conceived decor and props. David Seldes’ colourless lighting design doesn’t help: much of the time, the hard-working cast can barely be seen through the abundance of haze. The blaze that destroys Manderley is reduced to a crimson wash and a chorus passing empty buckets. It’s a production that monumentally fails to do justice to its source material.
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Review Roundup: English-Language REBECCA Premieres at Charing Cross Theatre
by Nicole Rosky - September 19, 2023
by Nicole Rosky - September 19, 2023
Richard Carson, Lauren Jones and Kara Lane head the cast for the much anticipated English language premiere of the critically acclaimed musical Rebecca. Check out what the critic are saying about the new musical.
Photos: First Look at the English Language Premiere of REBECCA
by Stephi Wild - September 13, 2023
by Stephi Wild - September 13, 2023
Richard Carson, Lauren Jones and Kara Lane head the cast for the eagerly anticipated English language premiere of the critically acclaimed musical ‘Rebecca’. Check out all new photos here!
Rebecca FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long has Rebecca been running on the West End?
Rebecca opened at the Charing Cross Theatre on Monday Sep 18, 2023 and has now been running for 1 month.
Rebecca History
Other Productions of Rebecca
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