West End stars Hadley Fraser and Caroline Sheen will come together in September to workshop a new musical by Stuart Matthew Price and Timothy Knapman, Before After.
The pair, who previously worked together in the West End production of Les Misérables, will work with director Simon Greiff for two weeks before performing first before an audience of industry insiders on 26 September, then the public on 28 September at the St James Studio.
Before After, which is receiving support from the Arts Council, asks what would happen if you had a second chance with a great lost love. When Ami (Sheen) meets Ben (Fraser) by a tree on a beautiful hillside she instantly recognises him as the once-time love of her life, but he doesn’t recognise her. As the audience watches their love grow in both the past and present, might they actually live happily ever after?
In addition to Les Mis, Sheen boasts West End credits including the original cast of Mamma Mia!, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Donmar Warehouse production of Into The Woods.
Fraser, whose credits include The Far Pavilions and The Fantasticks, will lead the cast of the Donmar Warehouse production of City Of Angels later this year.
Speaking about the production, Price, who is also a performer with credits including the Open Air Theatre’s The Sound Of Music and Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, said: “We are thrilled with the stunning West End cast we’ve assembled and, with the generous support of the Arts Council, excited to give musical theatre fans the opportunity to be in at the very beginning of the journey for this new British musical. We want their feedback as we look to mount a fully staged production later in 2014 or early 2015.”
Tickets for the public performance, available at £12.50 and £15, can be bought from the St James Theatre box office by calling 0844 264 2140.