ANDY CAPP - THE MUSICAL to Play Finborough Theatre

In a production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, the first professional UK production in more than 30 years of Andy Capp The Musical by Alan Price and Trevor Peacock runs at the Finborough Theatre, playing Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday matinees from Sunday, 7 February (Press Night: Monday, 8 February 2016 at 7.30pm).

As Reg Smythe's long-running Daily Mirror comic strip prepares to celebrate its 60th year, join loveable rogue Andy Capp and the colourful characters from his North East town in this hilarious and poignant British musical.

Work-shy Andy squanders his rent money on beer and stumbles home late again. His long suffering missus Flo vows to leave him, but Andy promises his racing pigeons will one day make them a fortune.

A few doors down, innocent young lovers Elvis and Raquel plan their wedding, but will their lives turn out just like Andy and Flo? Not if Raquel's mother, Mrs Scrimmett, has anything to do with it...

With Alan Price's bouncy rhythms and Trevor Peacock's razor sharp lyrics, this rediscovered British musical is a warm-hearted look at relationships and the simple pleasures in overcoming life's obstacles - guaranteed to stamp a smile on your face.

Andy Capp The Musical premiered in 1982 at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and then transferred to the West End, where it was nominated for the Olivier Award for Musical of the Year. Tom Courtenay starred as Andy and Alan Price, the show's composer and former keyboardist for the popular band The Animals, played the role of Geordie.

Author of the book and Co-Lyricist Trevor Peacock is best known for his acting work on screen, most notably as Jim Trott in the BBC's long-running sitcom, The Vicar of Dibley. He started his writing career penning songs for popstars Adam Faith, Billy Fury and Joe Brown. His biggest hit was the 1960s classic Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, recorded by Herman's Hermits. Trevor Peacock went on to write the lyrics for shows including Passion Flower Hotel (1965), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1966) and Erb (1970). He wrote a series of musicals for the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester - Leaping Ginger (1977), Cinderella (1979), Class K (1985) and Jack and the Giant (1986).

Composer and Co-Lyricist Alan Price is best known as keyboardist for the 1960's rhythm and blues band, The Animals. The group found international acclaim with hit songs House of the Rising Sun, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and Bring It On Home To Me. He went on to front his own band The Alan Price Set, recording hit singles I Put a Spell on You and Hi Lili Hi Lo. Alan later reached the top ten UK album chart with his highly acclaimed album Between Today and Yesterday, featuring 'Jarrow Song'. For Cinema, Alan wrote the music for films O Lucky Man (1973) winning a BAFTA award for Best Film Music and Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Score, Britannia Hospital (1982) and The Whales of August starring Bette Davis (1987). He continues to tour with his band, playing regularly at The Bull's Head in Barnes, London.

Director Jake Smith is currently the Trainee Director in Residence at Chichester Festival Theatre and Staff Director on Breakfast At Tiffany's (Theatre Royal Haymarket and National Tour). He began his career at Hull Truck Theatre and was a founding member of Assemble Fest, a large-scale theatre festival launched following Hull's winning City of Culture campaign. Direction includes A Christmas Carol (Chichester Festival Theatre), Smoke (and mirrors) (Derby Theatre for Theatre Uncut), The Little Match Girl (Assemble Fest, Hull), Alice's Site (Hull Truck Theatre) and The Coronation of Poppea (Middleton Hall, Hull). Readings include Arthur (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Swan Song (Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), I am Scratch (Old Red Lion Theatre) and Betjeman with Edward Fox (Chichester Festival Theatre). Jake has worked as Assistant Director with Howard Davies on For Services Rendered (Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), Nadia Fall on Way Upstream (Chichester Festival Theatre), Christopher Morahan on Stevie (Hampstead Theatre), Dale Rooks on The Hundred and One Dalmatians (Chichester Festival Theatre), Jonathan Kent on Gypsy (Chichester Festival Theatre), Max Stafford-Clark on Pitcairn (Chichester Festival Theatre and Out of Joint), Jamie Glover on Miss Julie and Black Comedy (Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), and Sarah Louise Davies on Whale Music (Hull Truck Theatre).

Choreographer Chris Cuming trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on the BA Theatre Practice course. He has since returned to Central as a teacher and visiting lecturer. Chris is also a choreographer for National Youth Music Theatre and runs workshops at various colleges. Choreography and Movement Direction includes 5 Guys Chillin' (Brighton Fringe and the King's Head Theatre), The School of Light (White Bear Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Camden's People Theatre), We Raise Our Hands (Albany Theatre), The Mark of Arana (Shoreditch Town Hall), Sequins (London Film School), Little Foot (Trestle Arts Base and Royal and Derngate Theatres, Northampton), The Wish and Sleeping Cutie - Wake Up Little Snoozy (Webber Douglas Studio). Choreography and Direction includes Sister Act, Oklahoma! and South Pacific (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Hello Dolly! (Watford Palace Theatre) and Little Women (Trestle Arts Base). Chris has also worked as Assistant Choreographer and Director on Dick Whittington (Watford Palace Theatre), Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios 2), Boxed and Bagged (Bush Theatre) and West Side Story, Grease, Cabaret and City of Angels (Embassy Theatre).

Celebrating British Music Theatre
In 2006, the Finborough Theatre began the Celebrating British Music Theatre series with a sell-out production of Leslie Stuart's Florodora. Productions since then have included sell-out rediscoveries of Lionel Monckton's Our Miss Gibbs, Harold Fraser-Simson's operetta The Maid of the Mountains, A "Gilbert and Sullivan" Double Bill featuring Gilbert's play Sweethearts and Sullivan's opera The Zoo, Dame Ethel Smyth's opera The Boatswain's Mate, Sandy Wilson's The Buccaneer, Oscar Asche's Chu Chin Chow, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream, Gay's The Word (which transferred to Jermyn Street Theatre, and has been released on CD), and Valley of Song (released on CD), Gilbert and Sullivan's The Grand Duke, Edward German's Merrie England, Paul Scott Goodman's Rooms: A Rock Romance, Phil Willmott's Lost Boy (which transferred to Charing Cross Theatre), Craig Adams and Nona Sheppard's Thérèse Raquin (which transferred to the Park Theatre and has just been recorded for CD), Rutland Boughton's 1914 "music-drama" The Immortal Hour, Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds' Free As Air and Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida.

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