Photo Flash: Meet the Star of New Oscar Wilde Musical DE PROFUNDIS, Set for Leicester Square

Martin Witts and Lesley Ackland for London International Arts Ltd present the World Premiere of a new British musical, winner of Leicester Square Theatre's The New Musical Project, Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, featuring Music & Lyrics by Paul Dale Vickers. The show, starring Alastair Brookshaw, will be directed by Katie Pesskin with musical direction by Michael Riley. Scroll down for a first look at Brookshaw!

De Profundis, a new musical by Paul Dale Vickers, based on the letter playwright Oscar Wilde wrote to his young lover, Bosie, from his prison cell in Reading jail in 1897, has won Leicester Square Theatre's The New Musical Project, and will premiere in a six-week season in The Lounge at Leicester Square Theatre from Thursday May 1 - Sunday 8 June.

Vickers entered De Profundis in Leicester Square Theatre's The New Musical Project and it is the inaugural winner. The New Musical Project was set up to to discover and nurture a new British musical that showed great writing talent. On offer was a process of mentoring and rehearsals that would ultimately lead to a fully staged show for the winner in the Lounge at Leicester Square Theatre. More than 100 musicals were received and considered. Six projects were chosen as finalists and showcases of them were produced and directed by Stuart Saint and Katie Pesskin. The Project involved 27 actors, 18 panellists, 180 hours of rehearsal, and six public readings, which were attended by 300 members of the public.

About Alastair Brookshaw (Performer) - Alastair received rave reviews ("Outstanding" The Observer ", "A brave performance" The Independent, "Memorable" The Daily Telegraph) for his starring role as Leo Frank in the critically acclaimed production of the musical Parade at Southwark Playhouse. Immediately following the sold-out run he played the role again, this time in a production at the Jerusalem Theatre in Israel. Alastair's West End work includes Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre and Blood Brothers at the Phoenix, with him understudying Eddie. He was in Craig Revel Horwood's revival of Hot Mikado at the Watermill Theatre, and he was a vocalist in the dance musical Shoes at Sadler's Wells. His other musicals include The Carnival of the Animals (Riverside), Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory (Phoenix Arts), Putting It Together and Notes from New York. He was also in Bed & Sofa at the Finborough and A Winter's Tale (Landor).

De Profundis will play The Lounge at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX. Box office: 08448 733433 or online at www.leicestersquaretheatre.com. Previews begin Thursday, May 1, with the first press night on May 6. The show runs through June 8, 2014.

Photo Credit: Steve Ullathorne

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