Andrew Lloyd Webber’s STARLIGHT EXPRESS opens summer 2024 in the specially designed Starlight Auditorium at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.
Audiences will be immersed inside a world of speed, song and storytelling as an incredible cast of 40 whizz around and above, performing some of musical theatre’s most beloved songs, including AC/DC, Make Up My Heart, Light at the End of the Tunnel and the iconic Starlight Express.
As a child’s train set magically comes to life and the engines race to become the fastest in the world, Rusty the steam train has little hope of winning until he is inspired by the legend of the ‘Starlight Express’.
Seen around the world by over 20 million people,
STARLIGHT EXPRESS is an electrifying experience for all ages.
With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, the creative team is helmed by acclaimed director Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, The Little Big Things), set designer Tim Hatley (Back to the Future), video designer Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi), costume designer Gabriella Slade (Six), lighting designer Howard Hudson (& Juliet), sound designer Gareth Owen (MJ the Musical) with new orchestrations and musical supervision by Matthew Brind.
Featuring thrilling new choreography by Ashley Nottingham (Pacific Overtures) and casting by Pearson Casting CDG, STARLIGHT EXPRESS also sees the return of Arlene Phillips as creative dramaturg.
The Starlight Auditorium at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre is a state-of the-art cultural destination only 12 minutes from Baker Street and a short 5-minute walk from the tube. There are great parking options and the theatre is easily accessible via the M25 and M1
Accessible Performances
Signed, Audio Described and Captioned:
Sun 6th October, 2024 - 1pm
Wed 9th October, 2024 - 7.30pm
Richard Stilgoe’s lyrics are ridiculous yet enjoyable (“freight is great”, sings one train, “I’m the hero of net zero,” sings another, the latter proof that the show has been updated to reflect our world) and the songs are superb, carrying the chug or hiss of trains and crossing genres from glam-rock to blues to hip-hop, country and musical ballad. They are masterfully sung all round, alongside the athletic feats of the cast.
Will this staging dazzle all those youngsters who have virtual reality headsets in their bedrooms? To be honest, I’d expected the track design to be a little more audacious. The actors do pass through the middle of the audience, but after the first couple of circuits it begins to look quite sedate. Mad Max this ain’t. For all the flashing lights, the Troubadour itself, a fair trek from the centre of London, is also a baldly utilitarian venue. But my advice is to ignore the Ikea vibes, and let the songs transport you.
1984 | West End |
Original London Production West End |
1987 | Broadway |
Broadway Production Broadway |
2024 | West End |
West End |
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