LOST BOY's Extended Run at Charing Cross Theatre Now Set for 3-29 March

Phil Willmott's acclaimed new musical Lost Boy, a dark sequel to Peter Pan reuniting JM Barrie's characters as young adults on the eve of the First World War, is being extended due to public demand and will get a further month's run in the West End.

Lost Boy will end its current five-week season at Charing Cross Theatre as planned on Saturday 15 February. The theatre then has a 2-week hire. Lost Boy will re-open on Monday March 3 and run to Saturday 29 March.

Jodie Jacobs whose West End credits include Regina in Rock Of Ages (Shaftesbury and Garrick), Evita (Adelphi), Little Shop of Horrors (Duke of York's and Ambassadors), Fame (Aldwych) and We Will Rock You (Dominion) will join the cast as Tinker Bell.

Willmott will use the short performance break to make some subtle changes to the production. "The break will allow me four days in the rehearsal room to focus the piece a little more, make cuts and improve one or two of the songs."

Peter Pan was the Harry Potter of the golden age of Edwardian children's literature. Tickets to Barrie's play and copies of the book sold in huge quantities with hardly a nursery in the Empire left untouched by the phenomenon. But when those children grew to adulthood, the world they encountered was a far cry from the utopia of Never Never Land. How did exposure to JM Barrie's masterpiece equip an army of frightened young men to deal with the horrors of trench warfare... and the complexities of grown up relationships? The culture clash between the enchantment of childhood fantasy and real life provides a rich vein for humour and drama as this original story explores the hopes and dreams of one particular young officer on the eve of battle with a copy of Peter Pan in his pocket. As sleep begins to blur his dreams and reality, fact and fiction become entangled and he finds himself central to one final "awfully big adventure" with the grown-up Wendy, John, Michael and Tinker Bell. Willmott's original songs - blending a contemporary music theatre style with music hall influences - have been arranged into a score with additional music by Mark Collins, Assistant Musical Director on the West End production of Billy Elliot The Musical.

Lost Boy stars Olivier Award nominee Andrew C. Wadsworth as Captain Hook. The rest of the cast are Steven Butler, Lauren Cocoracchio, Grace Gardner, Hannah Grace, Richard James-King, Natalie Lipin, Luka Markus, Max Panks, David Scotland, Joseph Taylor. Directed by Phil Willmott. Musical Direction by Isaac McCullough. Choreography by Racky Plews. Musical Supervision by Mark Collins. Designed by Phil Lindley. Lighting by Mike Robertson.

Produced by Steven M. Levy and Sean Sweeney and The Steam Industry in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre

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