BRAND NEW MUSICAL
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
BEGINS PREVIEWS TONIGHT AT
THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH
Based on Lauren Weisberger's best-selling 2003 novel and the 2006 blockbuster film from Twentieth Century Studios which went on to gross $326 million worldwide and received two Academy Award nominations, brand new musical THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA opens tonight at Theatre Royal Plymouth where it runs until Saturday 17th August, before transferring to the Dominion Theatre in London's West End.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA features an all-star, award-winning creative team led by Elton John (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Lion King), new direction & choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Hairspray), lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub (Suffs), book by Kate Wetherhead (Ever After, Submissions Only), set design by Tim Hatley (Life of Pi, Back to the Future), costume design by Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot, Legally Blonde), lighting design by Bruno Poet (The Tina Turner Musical, Frankenstein), sound design by Gareth Owen (Come From Away, & Juliet) and casting by Jill Green CDG.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is produced by Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum (In the Heights, Avenue Q, Rent, SIX and Mrs. Doubtfire), Rocket Entertainment/David Furnish (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical) and Jamie Wilson (Mrs Doubtfire, Ain’t Too Proud, Sister Act The Musical) and presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.
Jerry Mitchell now steers this brand-new reimagined production of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA to new heights following a developmental run in Chicago in 2022.
Tony Award nominee Vanessa Williams, best known for her celebrated TV roles in Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives and as a multi-award winning singer, will play the iconic role of Miranda Priestly, the undisputed Queen of Fashion and Editor-in-Chief of Runway Magazine! Williams’ theatre credits include Into the Woods (Tony nominee), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sondheim on Sondheim, Show Boat and Anyone Can Whistle.
Matt Henry will bring the esteemed character of Nigel to the stage. Henry is best known for his Olivier award winning performance playing Lola in Kinky Boots and for being a finalist on the second series of The Voice.
They are joined by Georgie Buckland (Shrek The Musical; Bedknobs and Broomsticks) playing the driven Andy, Amy Di Bartolomeo (SIX; We Will Rock You) as the icy First Assistant to Miranda, Emily, James Darch (Mamma Mia!; Wicked) as the devious journalist, Christian, and Rhys Whitfield (The Phantom of the Opera; Summer and Smoke) as Andy’s long-term boyfriend, Nate.
Completing the cast are: Maddy Ambus, Gabby Antrobus, Selena Barron, Pamela Blair, Robertina Bonano, Lloyd Davies, Elishia Edwards, Akeem Ellis-Hyman, Elizabeth Fullalove, Jinny Gould, Natasha Heyward, Samuel How, Luke Jackson, Liam Marcellino, Robbie McMillan, Ciro Lourencio Meulens, Gabriel Mokake, Theo Papoui, Christopher Parkinson, Eleanor Peach, Ethan Le Phong, Jon Reynolds, Harriet Samuel-Gray, Olivia Saunders, Kayleigh Thadani, Ella Valentine, Rhys Whitfield and Tara Yasmin.
When the show transfers to London in the autumn the company will be joined by Debbie Kurup (The Cher Show; Cool Rider) as standby Miranda.
Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy scores a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion's most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda's impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed... and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she’s always wanted?
Last month I was privileged to have been invited along to the exclusive launch event for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at The Orangery at Mount Edgecombe, alongside cast and company members and as well as drinking Rumway cocktails and basking in the glorious sunshine, we got to hear from principal members of the team.
Jerry Mitchell - Director and Choreographer:
"Each scene has some incredible songs written by Elton John for the characters that are very fashion forward and really belong in the musical. There are five fashion shows in the show and we see Andy introduced to the industry and see her sense of fashion get greater and greater as do the fashion shows themselves!"
Kate Wetherhead - Book writer:
"It's really a unique challenge to adapt a popular movie such as this one. I wanted to preserve and uplift elements of the film and I want to honour the movie and not disappoint audiences, looking to recreate the feelings the movie gives you."
"I mapped the story into a musical theatre structure with my collaborators and it lends itsdelf very well to adaptation because the stakes are so high for every single character. The reason to sing in a musical is because you cant talk anymore, the emotions are too high and fortunately this is a very fertile source material to work with."
Tim Hatley - Set Designer:
"The settings in the film are iconic and the sets need to be a real part of the story. Good design in theatre is about supporting all the other elements of the production. In the first half of this show we are in New York and then we move to Paris and having those two different cities has been a real challenge and a joy, getting the feel to be different."
Vanessa Williams - Miranda Priestly:
"The talent on stage is incredible and behind the scenes is spectacular and I am thrilled to be a part of this show."
"It's important to remember that this is set in 2005 because if Miranda Priestly tried to get away with the things that she did now then she would be cancelled! The time capsule here works well and is reflective of the movie."
"What I love about bringing her to life on stage is the power that she has to make people better because she has a standard and she doesn't apologise for it. I'm a different person to Meryl Streep and I'm not going to imitate her but will bring what I have to the role. Sometimes it's a little more sassy and a little more sexy!"
Matt Henry - Nigel
"Fashion is Nigel's passion and it has always been a part of my life. I get to wear some fantastic suits in this role and this show allows you to look at yourself and think 'I look hot'! This show has a serious message and also a huge heart, teaching us to believe in ourselves."
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is playing at Theatre Royal Plymouth Saturday 6th July - Saturday 17th August and then struts into the West End playing at the Dominion Theatre from Thursday 24th October and is booking until October 2025!
All details in this article are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change
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