Just a month or so before the very sad departure of David Bowie earlier this year, he managed to wrack up another stage hit in the production of Lazarus, which premiered in November 2016 at the New York Theatre Workshop. Now it has been confirmed to transfer to the King’s Cross Theatre, London, adding to what has been one of the greatest careers in entertainment, featuring incredible music, film roles and stage performances from the Space Oddity.
Co-written by Bowie, alongside Irish playwright Enda Walsh, the writer behind the musical adaptation of Once, it’s inspired by the 1963 Walter Tevis novel, The Man Who Fell To Earth, which went on to be made into the 1976 movie that was Bowie’s major film debut. The show will also feature songs from the music legend’s extensive back catalogue, making it one of the most exciting theatre transfers of the year.
Dates, times and tickets
Lazurus will be opening at the King’s Cross Theatre in London on the 25th October 2016 with a lengthy run throughout the winter until it’s close on the 22nd January 2017. Performances will be Tuesday to Friday evenings at 8pm, with the Saturday evening performance a little later at 8.30pm and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm.
Ticket prices range from £15 for band D tickets to £75 for band A. The show is around 2 hours long, but there’s no interval, so if you’re used to a chocolate ice cream and a G&T in the intermission, you might want to bring yourself some nibbles and a hip flask to get you through.
Story
Lazarus is the story of Thomas Newton, an alien that has found himself living on Earth, unable to die, but consumed by the memory of his former love. Taking refuge in a steady stream of cheap gin, he’s at a bit of a low ebb, but the arrival of another “lost soul” sets new wheels in motion for the fallen alien.
Cast
The cast of the original New York production of Lazarus will be reprising their roles for the London transfer, including Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Kill Your Darlings) as Thomas Jerome Newton. Michael Esper (The Drop) plays the villain, Valentine, and Sophia Anne Caruso stars as unnamed girl. Sophia Anne Caruso will not perform between December 20th 2016 and January 2nd 2017, so her understudy will take on her role for these performances.
Production
Ivo Van Hove directs the David Bowie and Enda Walsh-penned play with Jan Versweyveld as the designer and An D’Huys on costumer design. Brian Ronan is the original sound designer, but Tony Gayle will be taking up the baton for him for the King’s Cross Theatre transfer of the musical.
First impressions
With good reviews of the original New York production and the surrealistic sci-fi story of the film as inspiration, Lazarus is surely one of the big shows of the year. It’s packed with David Bowie songs, has Michael C. Hall in the lead role and has the huge space of the King’s Cross Theatre to flash around in, so so it’s got a lot going for it.
