TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) Comes to the Kiln Theatre

Kiln Theatre has announced Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), a new British musical penned by writer duo Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, will complete their current season. Originally titled, The Season, the musical won a Stage Debut Best Composer/Lyricist award in 2020 and played to critical acclaim at Royal & Derngate and The New Wolsey Theatre.

The new production, directed by Tim Jackson, opens on 16 November, with previews from 9 November, and runs until 23 December. Tickets are on sale from today, and cast is to be announced.

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan said today, “We feel so lucky to be given the chance to rework the show and experience it in a new space, in front of a new audience. We’ve loved getting to know the team at the Kiln and can’t wait to see Two Strangers playing under their roof.”

Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham, commented “There’s something incredibly special about a musical on the Kiln stage – the wonderful intimacy of the space provides a perfect place in which audiences can very much be a part of the production. And this one, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), is a glorious one – a new British musical from the striking duo Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, directed by Tim Jackson, and designed by Soutra Gilmour. Witty and original, I have no doubt this will be an engaging and exhilarating evening.”

Dougal is a naive, impossibly upbeat Brit, flying to New York for his Dad’s second wedding. The Dad he’s never known.

Waiting for him at the airport is Robin, the sister of the bride. She’s a native New Yorker, she’s late for work, and she doesn’t have time to stop and see the sights.

Instant attraction? Definitely not.

But with an extravagant wedding approaching and the city at their feet - anything could happen.

A new British musical from writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan.

Kit Buchan is a poet and journalist. His poems have been commended in the Poetry London and Ware Poets competitions and the Best British Poetry anthology. He works for the Observer New Review and the Woodland Trust.

Jim Barne is a composer and orchestrator. He has written music for films including Oscar-nominated Living (2022), The Ghost Trap (2023) and Worth (2021). He has won the London Chamber Orchestra’s young composer competition, and Best New Score at the Horrorhaus Film Festival.

Together they have won The Stage Debut Award and the Stiles & Drewe prize for new musical theatre. Their second musical Catastrophe Bay was performed at Bristol Old Vic in 2022. They also write songs for their pop band, I Said Yes.

Tim Jackson is a Director and Choreographer, and was recently Creative Associate of The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch. As a director, work includes the first UK revival of Kinky Boots (New Wolsey Theatre), The Hound of the Baskervilles (UK tour), Treasure Island (Bolton Octagon), The Season (Royal and Derngate and New Wolsey Theatre), The Oliviers in Concert (Royal Festival Hall). As an Associate Director, work includes High Society (The Old Vic), A Little Night Music (Tokyo), From Hackney To Hollywood (UK tour). As a choreographer, work includes Merrily We Roll Along (New York Theatre Workshop/National Theatre Tokyo/Huntington Theatre/Harold Pinter Theatre/Menier Chocolate Factory), A Christmas Carol (Dominion Theatre), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Apollo Theatre), Stepping Out (Vaudeville Theatre), Saturday Night (Arts Theatre), Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios), Little Shop of Horrors (Manchester Royal Exchange), La Périchole (Garsington Opera), The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ (Curve Theatre), Parade (Southwark Playhouse), Dusty (Bath Theatre Royal/UK tour), and La Bohème (Middle East tour). His choreography for television includes four Olivier Awards Ceremonies, Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief, and BBC's New Year's Eve midnight celebration. Jackson returns to New York this summer to choreograph Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway, with Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez.

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