Today, The Old Vic, announces the return of the critically acclaimed hit show, Groundhog Day, directed by Matthew Warchus, with book by Danny Rubin, and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. Andy Karl will reprise his Olivier Award-winning role as the cynical TV weatherman Phil Connors in a 12-week run at The Old Vic from 20 May–12 August with a press performance on Thursday 08 June.
Further casting to be announced.
Artistic Director of The Old Vic and director Matthew Warchus, said: ‘Groundhog Day is one of my all-time favourite films and making the musical stage adaptation with Danny Rubin and Tim Minchin was one of the happiest creative experiences of my life. With echoes of classics such as The Music Man and It’s A Wonderful Life, the Groundhog Day film manages to be both a great screwball comedy-romance and also a profound life-lesson combined… adding up to, in my view, the perfect entertainment. Our musical adaptation aims to build on those dual attributes and unlock – in comic, theatrical form – a potent and uplifting message for us all: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in having new eyes” (Marcel Proust).’
Tim Minchin said: ‘Creating this musical was hugely challenging and enormously fun. Working with the wondrous Danny Rubin and the brilliant Matthew Warchus, alongside Chris Nightingale – music supervisor and orchestrator extraordinaire – we wrestled this iconic existential comedy drama into a completely new work; something that not only found critical acclaim, but also seemed to affect its audiences in a way I’ve not witnessed. It was dense with laughs, crowded with big ideas, wildly ambitious and profoundly emotional. Seeing it come back to The Old Vic, perhaps my favourite theatre on the planet, is a huge thrill.’
Choreography by Lizzi Gee, Set and Costume by Rob Howell, Orchestration, Additional Music and Musical Supervision by Christopher Nightingale, Lighting by Hugh Vanstone, Sound by Simon Baker, Illusions by Paul Kieve, Additional Movement by Finn Caldwell, Video by Andrzej Goulding, Casting by Will Burton for GBC, Musical Direction by Alan Berry, Voice by Charlie Hughes-D'Aeth and Dialect by Penny Dyer. The Associate Directors are Paul Warwick Griffin and Nik Ashton and the Assistant Musical Supervisor is Jack Hopkins.