Beloved 90s comedy Mrs Doubtfire is making its way to the West End. The musical premiered in Manchester and will take up residency in the Shaftesbury Theatre starting in May of next year.
If you haven’t seen the film or if it’s been a while, here’s a recap of the story. Struggling actor Daniel Hillard is going through a rough patch in his life, having recently divorced and lost custody of his children. In order to spend time with his kids, he adopts the persona of Euphegenia Doubtfire, a Scottish nanny. However, the ruse soon gets out of hand. It’s a wholesome story about fatherhood and family. The role was originally played by Robin Williams and is regarded as one of his most iconic and well-loved roles.
The musical adaptation was first in previews on Broadway back in 2020. However, the production had to shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic and saw a short and scattered run after being shut down again because of the Omicron variant. The West End is perhaps a new chance for the musical to find its footing.
See also: 2:22 A Ghost Story Is The Spookiest Show You’ll Watch This Year and Perfect for Halloween
Who is in Mrs Doubtfire The Musical?
The show has original music and lyrics penned by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick, and is based on a book by Karey Kirkpatrick.
Gabriel Vick, known for his work on Avenue Q, will be taking the lead role. The cast also includes Cameron Blakely of The Addams Family, Marcus Collins of The X Factor, Carla Dizon-Hernandez of Matilda, and Ian Halbot of Hairspray, among others. The creative team includes Jerry Zaks as director, who has won Tony awards for his work on Guys and Dolls, Six Degrees of Separation, Lend Me a Tenor, and The House of Blue Leaves. Scenic design is by David Korins (Hamilton), the music supervisor is Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) and choreography is by Lorin Latarro (Waitress).
The Shaftesbury theatre is open again after renovations which reconfigured the auditorium, installed air conditioning and improved accessibility. The largest independent theatre in the West End, it opened in 1911 as the New Princes Theatre. The venue has hosted many award-winning plays and musicals throughout the years, including Hairspray, Memphis and Motown. It is currently showing & Juliet, a pop musical take on the Shakespeare classic.
Tickets for Mrs Doubtfire are available now from Ticketmaster.
See also: The Best Musicals To Watch This Winter