After premiering at the Storyhouse last year, The Time Traveller’s Wife musical, an adaptation of the hit novel, will be returning to production. The musical is set to begin performances on the West End on October 7th, where it will find a home at London’s Apollo Theatre. The official opening night will be on November 1st.
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The romantic tale, originally penned by Audrey Niffenegger, has captured hearts and minds since it came out in 2003. It follows the love story between protagonists Clare and Henry, who has a genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time uncontrollably. Their love is complicated by emotional developments that occur out of order, subverting the standard Hollywood format and adding a tragic element that nonetheless speaks to the transcendence and power of love. It’s a story not just about time travel but about the universal difficulties of relationships and family.
The Time Traveller’s Wife musical was developed by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame and Joss Stone, both Grammy Award winning musicians. The script was written by Lauren Gunderson, known as America’s most produced playwright. Niffenegger herself was brought into the production, and expressed her approval.
Producer Colin Ingram said: “After six years developing this show and an extremely successful try-out in Chester, we are so delighted to present the world premiere of a new British musical based on such a beloved book. This confident, clever and charming musical by British rock royalty Dave Stewart and Joss Stone shows off their musicianship and director Bill Buckhurst and his creative team have created an incredible world to tell this cherished story in the most powerful and emotional way.”
The book has already seen a fair few adaptations. It reached the big screen in 2009, directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana in the leading roles. The story also saw a TV version for HBO in 2022, adapted by Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat.
Stewart commented: “Working with Joss Stone alongside Lauren Gunderson has been a thrilling experience. The world that director Bill Buckhurst has created for this very emotional love story brings magic to the stage.
“The songs Joss and I have written for this amazing musical have been woven together so brilliantly by composer/arranger Nick Finlow and, as we intended, the audience are enraptured in the joy of the story, the music and the complexities of close relationships.”
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