Happy Halloween! THRILLER LIVE Extends Through Next Autumn; Creator Honored with Image Award!

Blame It On The Boogie...the dancing is not going to stop any time soon on Shaftesbury Avenue with the West End spectacular Thriller Live announcing a new booking period to 30 September, 2018, with 180,000 extra seats now on sale!

Tomorrow night, Halloween, is its 3,664th West End performance, and on 15 February, 2018, Thriller Live - a spectacular concert-style show that celebrates Michael Jackson's enduring musical legacy and groundbreaking dance moves - will overtake Jersey Boys to become the 14th longest running musical in West End history.

On 19 August, 2018 the show will celebrate its 4000th West End performance.

In addition, Thriller Live creator Adrian Grant, author of the best-selling book, Michael Jackson - The Visual Documentary, was this week honoured with the prestigious Image Award in the Black British Business Awards - the only premium awards programme that recognises, rewards and celebrates exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of black people in businesses operating in Great Britain.

Thriller Live has also welcomed several new cast members: lead singers Charlotte Berry, Vivviene Ekwulugo and young MJs Giles Corden and Christian Posso.

Thriller Live is Vivienne Ekwulugo's West End debut. A singer, songwriter and actress from London, her very first public performance was singing The Jackson 5's Ben at the age of 11 in a school talent show. Vivienne signed her first record contract at the age of 17, performing as part of a band and as a solo artist. She went on to be a finalist in the national BBC Radio 2 Sold on Song songwriting competition in 2004, judged by Beverley Knight, Robin Gibb and Graham Gouldman. Since then, she has written two studio albums and co-written a third album, Cover Girl, with one of the UK's leading choral composers, Richard Allain.

French singer/actress Charlotte Berry is also making her West End debut in Thriller Live. Signed to Universal Music France, she starred in Avenue Q (French adaptation) and Les Dix Commandements and many more stage shows in France. As a musician she also played on several French original movie soundtracks.

Thriller Live is Giles Corden's second West End show. Now aged 13, he made his debut in the West End at the age of 12 as an original cast member in School of Rock as Lawrence the keyboard player. Giles, along with the other 11 child musicians in the show, won the 2016 Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Music'.

Christian Posso, aged 10, is making his stage and West End debut in Thriller Live.

Thriller Live creator Adrian Grant, who is also author of the best-selling book, Michael Jackson - The Visual Documentary, was this week honoured with the prestigious Image Award in the Black British Business Awards - the only premium awards programme that recognises, rewards and celebrates exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of black people in businesses operating in Great Britain.

He said: "I am honoured to have won the Image Award at the Black British Business Awards 2017 for setting a record of excellence and making a lasting, significant and positive contribution to the standing of people of African and Caribbean heritage in Britain for the show I created, Thriller Live, and my work with Michael Jackson.

"Thank you to everyone involved with Thriller Live from the creative and production team to all the crew and cast. Over the past 11 years the show has given an opportunity and work to over 500 different people, and created long lasting relationships. Most of all thank you to Michael Jackson for giving me the opportunity to promote his legacy around the world via the show, the books, MJ Days and first of all the magazine, 'Off The Wall', where it began in 1988."

Thriller Live is unlike other West End musicals. There is no script or story, it is instead a eye-popping celebration of Michael Jackson's music and dance legacy, bringing to life on stage his distinctive high-energy dancing and the pulsating sound of many of pop's greatest hits. The show changes each year with new numbers added, and features specially created video footage and effects and dazzling choreography by the show's award-winning director, Gary Lloyd.

Thriller Live first Moonwalked into the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in 2009 and tomorrow night, Halloween, is its 3,664th West End performance. Thriller Live holds the record as the longest ever run of a show since the theatre started entertaining the capital in December 1888.

Thriller Live has now been seen by 4,483,254 milion people in 33 countries and played over 5,929 performances worldwide, never failing to get a standing ovation!

The rest of the current Thriller Live West End company are David Jordan, Stefan Sinclair, John Moabi, Haydon Eshun, Alex Ko, Cordell Mosteller, Reece Bahia, Shakara Brown, Ella Coghill, Aisling Duffy, Ella Redhead, Sophie Usher, E.M. Smith, Jorgia Vaughan, Brett Baxter, Peter Cleverley, Jamal Crawford, Joel Ekperigin, Jamie Mason, Florivaldo Mossi, Ashley-Jordon Packer, Aled Arhyel Charles, Marcellus Virgo Smith, Andre Faulds, and Iasiah Mason.

The band are: Musical Supervisor, Keyboard 2 & Guitar 2 John Maher; AMD, Keyboard 1, Ryan Farmery; Guitar 1 Damien Cooper; Bass Oliver Latka; Drums Mike Bradley; and Percussion Accy Yeats.

The Creative Team are: Director and Choreographer Gary Lloyd, Original concept and Executive Director Adrian Grant, Musical Supervisor and Head Arranger John Maher, Set Designer Jonathan Park, Lighting Designer Nigel Catmur, Associate Lighting Designer Matt Lee, Video Content Designer Colin Rozee and Potion Pictures ,Costume Stylists and Supervisors Shooting Flowers, Sound Designer Chris Whybrow, Casting Director Debbie O'Brien, Associate Choreographer Jo Dyce, and Media Programmer Sam MacLaren.

Producers: Paul Walden and Derek Nicol for Flying Music in association with Adrian Grant for Key Concerts.

Thriller Live was originally conceived and created by Adrian Grant, a long time associate of Michael Jackson.Thriller Live recently completed its second residency in the People's Republic of China, where in 2016 it was honoured to be chosen as the opening production at a brand new state-of-the-art 1,200-seat theatre at the new Parisian Hotel Macau.

This month a new tour will set out playing theatres across the UK and several countries across Europe. The UK dates are: Embassy, Skegness (31 October - 4 November); Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline (9 - 11 November); Grand Theatre, Blackpool (13 - 18 November); Theatre Royal, Bath (27 November - 2 December); Guildhall, Portsmouth (27 - 31 December); Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (9 - 13 January); Regent Theatre, Stoke-On-Trent (15 - 20 January); Empire Theatre, Sunderland (15 - 17 February); Palace Theatre, Manchester (19 - 24 February); New Theatre, Cardiff (26 February - 3 March); Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (6 - 10 March); Gaiety Theatre, Dublin (12 - 18 March); Waterfront Theatre, Belfast (21 - 23 March); Orchard Theatre, Dartford (26 - 31 March); Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (14 - 19 May); King's Theatre, Glasgow (21 - 26 May); Hippopdrome Theatre, Darlington (28 May - 2 June); Cliff's Pavilion, Southend (4 - 9 June); Theatre Royal, Plymouth (11 - 16 June); Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth (18 - 23 June); Empire Theatre, Liverpool (26 - 30 June); New Victoria Theatre, Woking (2 -7 July); Bristol Hippodrome (9 - 14 July); Lycrum Theatre, Sheffield (16 - 21 July).

Pictured: New cast members Giles Corden, Charlotte Berry, Christian Posso and Vivienne Ekwulugo, are welcomed to the show by lead singer/MJ Stephan Sinclair.