FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL Begins West End Run at Shaftesbury Theatre on Oct. 14

Flashdance The Musical will open in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre this autumn. Previewing from 24 September 2010 with press night on 14 October, Flashdance The Musical is currently booking until 26 February 2011.

Written by Tom Hedley and Robert Cary, with music by Robbie Roth, lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth, Flashdance The Musical will be directed at the Shaftesbury Theatre by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Arlene Phillips and orchestrations and musical supervision by Phil Edwards. Casting will be announced shortly.

Flashdance The Musical, based on the Paramount Pictures film (screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley), is produced in the West End by Christopher Malcolm, David Ian, The Baruch Viertel Routh Frankel Group, and Transamerica.

Set in Pittsburgh, USA, Flashdance The Musical tells the story of 18-year old Alex, a welder by day and ‘flashdancer' by night, whose dream is to obtain a place at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. This musical about holding on to your dreams and love against all the odds features an iconic score including Maniac, Manhunt, Gloria, I Love Rock and Roll and the Academy award-winning title track Flashdance -What a Feeling.

Nikolai Foster's recent directing credits include Noel Coward's Hay Fever for Chichester Festival Theatre, the national tour of The Witches of Eastwick, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted by Bryony Lavery and Jason Carr for Birmingham Rep, Orwell's Animal Farm at West Yorkshire Playhouse and Barry Hines' Kes, adapted by Lawrence Till for The Liverpool Playhouse and the Touring Consortium. He has been director on attachment at the Sheffield Crucible, the Royal Court and the National Theatre Studio

Multi award-winning choreographer Arlene Phillips has choreographed the West End musicals Grease, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express and most recently, The Sound of Music. As director and choreographer her credits include Starlight Express - The Tour, Saturday Night Fever and EFX at the MGM Grand. In 2002 she was awarded the OBE for Services to Dance. She was a judge on BBC1's hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing for six series, continuing her role on Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour. Most recently she has been seen on our screens as a judge for BBC1's So You Think You Can Dance.

Christopher Malcolm is a producer of West End plays and musicals includingThe Rocky Horror Show, which he also directed and managed throughout the world from 1990 till 2004. As an actor, as well as appearing in many stage productions and films, he played Saffy's father Justin in the BBC comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.

David Ian is a producer of West End musicals including Grease, La Cage Aux Folles, The King and I, Saturday Night Fever, Guys and Dolls, The Producers and The Sound of Music.

American producers Steven Baruch, Tom Viertel, Marc Routh and Richard Frankel have produced and general managed a wide range of plays and musicals on and off-Broadway, in London and on tour for over twenty-four years including Hairspray, A Little Night Music, Stomp, Young Frankenstein, Porgy and Bess, The Producers, Company, Little Shop of Horrors, The Sound of Music and Smokey Joe's Café.

For more information, visit www.flashdancethemusical.com.

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