Playboy of the West Indies
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A feel-good Caribbean calypso musical
An exuberant night amid palm trees” The Sunday Times
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Based on the Irish Classic The Playboy Of The Western World, Mustapha Matura’s hilarious reinvention Playboy Of The West Indies has been delighting audiences and critics alike world-wide for over 35 years
A joyful comedy packed full of life, vitality and Caribbean sunshine” whatsonstage ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Now in this world premiere production the classic play has been transformed into a glorious new musical with a toe-tapping, finger-snapping score firmly rooted in the Caribbean. In Peggy’s rum bar in sleepy Mayaro village, a mysterious stranger stumbles in out of the darkness. With a voice like honey he tantalises the women and unnerves the men with a terrible story. As he weaves his magic spell on Peggy, her forthcoming nuptials to Stanley are thrown into doubt, and the village is plunged into uproar. While the women vie for this stranger’s attention, the men plot his downfall. Will events conspire to unmask his wild tales of derring-do?
This bright calypso musical, a feel-good reboot of Mustapha Matura’s play, features a tremendous cast and sweet duets” The Guardian
With an infectious score by Clement Ishmael (Five Guys Named Moe, The Lion King) and Dominique Le Gendre (Royal Opera House, Talawa Theatre) and co-direction from Nicolas Kent (Grenfell: Value Engineering, Ain’t Misbehavin) Playboy Of The West Indies transports you to the Caribbean in this witty, vibrant and joyful new musical.
An uplifting celebration of life… it’s hard not to leave smiling widely” ReviewsHub ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Presented by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.
Running time
2 hours and 35 minutes
Presented By
Birmingham 2022 Festival. Generously supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Written By
Mustapha Matura with music by Clement Ishmael & Dominique Le Gendre and lyrics by Clement Ishmael, Dominique Le Gendre and Nicolas Kent
Directed By
Clement Ishmael, Nicolas Kent and Dominique Le Gendre
Supported By
The John S Cohen Foundation, the Kobler Trust and the 29th May 1961 Charity
Digital programme
View and download your digital programme here.
Access Performances
Captioned Performance: Sat 18 June
Audio Described Performance: Tue 21 June
BSL Performance: Fri 24 June
Group & Family Discounts
Groups of 10+ will get 10% off the ticket price,
Groups of 20+ will get 15% off the ticket price.
Groups of 50+ will get 20% off the ticket price.
To book, please call our box office team directly on 0121 236 4455.
Fees and Charges
Please note there is a transaction fee of £2.50 on all payment types. Please click here for more information.
Photo credit, Geraint Lewis
Photo credit, Geraint Lewis
Photo credit, Geraint Lewis
The Cast
Elizabeth Ayodele
Elizabeth Ayodele is playing Ivy and Schoolgirl Iris in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess (he/him) is playing Mac in The Playboy of The West Indies.
McCallam Connell
McCallam Connell is playing Mikey in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Derek Elroy
Derek Elroy is playing Stanley in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Nathaniel Morrison
Nathaniel Morrison (he/him) is playing Fisherman Pepe in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Neil Patterson
Neil Patterson is playing Jim in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Gleanne Purcell-Brown
Gleanne Purcell-Brown (she/her) is playing Peggy in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Tendai Rinomhota
Tendai Rinomhota plays Schoolgirl Iris in Playboy of the West Indies
Durone Stokes
Durone Stokes is playing Ken in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Rachel Summers
Rachel Summers (she/her) is playing Alice in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Chris Tummings
Chris Tummings (he/him) is playing Phil in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Angela Wynter
Angela Wynter is playing Mama Benin in The Playboy Of The West Indies.
The Creative Team
Co-director
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael is a British born Canadian Composer, Conductor and Arranger. He is currently Worldwide Music Supervisor for Disneys’ The Lion King.
Nicolas Kent
Nicolas Kent
Nicolas Kent is a director.
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre is the composer, music producer and co-founder/artistic director of StrongBack Productions.
Composer
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael is a British born Canadian Composer, Conductor and Arranger. He is currently Worldwide Music Supervisor for Disneys’ The Lion King.
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre is composer, music producer and artistic director.
Lyrics
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael
Clement Ishmael is a British born Canadian Composer, Conductor and Arranger. He is currently Worldwide Music Supervisor for Disneys’ The Lion King.
Nicolas Kent
Nicolas Kent
Nicolas Kent is a director.
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre
Dominique Le Gendre is composer, music producer and artistic director.
Mustapha Matura
Mustapha Matura
Mustapha Matura was a playwright. His adaptation of the Irish classic The Playboy Of The Western World, The Playboy Of The West Indies, has been delighting audiences and critics alike worldwide for over 35 years.
Writer
Mustapha Matura
Mustapha Matura
Mustapha Matura was a playwright. His adaptation of the Irish classic The Playboy Of The Western World, The Playboy Of The West Indies, has been delighting audiences and critics alike worldwide for over 35 years.
Choreographer & Movement Director
Ingrid Mackinnon
Ingrid Mackinnon
Ingrid Mackinnon (she/her) is the Choreographer and Movement Director for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Fight Director
Yarit Dor
Yarit Dor
Designer
Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor
Training: RADA
Previous work includes: Evita, Billy Elliot, West Side Story, What The Butler Saw, (Leicester Curve); Playboy of the West Indies (Birmingham Rep); The Dresser (Duke of York’s); The Ladykillers (Gielgud Theatre); The Crown Jewels (Garrick); White Christmas (Leicester Curve and Dominion Theatre); The Man In The White Suit (Wyndhams); The Best Man (Playhouse Theatre); The Winslow Boy (Birmingham Rep & Tour); A Christmas Carol (Northampton Royal Theatre); My Boy Jack (Hampstead), Kill Johnny Glendinning, Waiting For Godot, The Price, Death of a Salesman (Edinburgh Lyceum); The Shadow of a Gunman (Tricycle); Anne Boleyn, All’s Well That Ends Well, In Extremis, (Shakespeare’s Globe); Amphibians (RSC); Mountain Language (National Theatre); The Fatherland (Riverside Studios).
He won the Drama Magazine Best Designer Award for Tony Marchant’s The Attractions (Soho Poly).
For The Ladykillers, he received nominations for Best Set Design at the Olivier Awards and the Whatsonstage.com Awards.
Costume Designer
Natalie Pryce
Natalie Pryce
Natalie Pryce is the Costume Designer for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Lighting Designer
Matt Eagland
Matt Eagland
Matt Eagland is the Lighting Designer for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Sound Designer
Tony Gayle
Tony Gayle
Tony Gayle is the Sound Design for The Playboy Of the West Indies.
Musical Director
Ian Oakley
Ian Oakley
Ian Oakley (he/him) is the Musical Director for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Casting Director
Debbie O'Brien
Debbie O'Brien
Debbie’s West End/UK Tours include: The Choir of Man, Dirty Dancing, Thriller Live, American Idiot, Knights of the Rose, 20th Century Boy, The Knowledge, Close to You, Priscilla Queen of the
Desert, Sinatra, Our House, Starlight Express, Mum’s the Word, Jackie, Grease, The Snowman, Flashdance, The King and I, Showboat, Dancing in the Streets, The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas, Daisy Pulls It Off, The Harder They Come, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Saturday Night Fever, Fame, Peter Pan, The Pirates of Penzance, Smokey Joe’s Café, The Rocky Horror Show.
Regional and international productions include: Trio, Playboy of the West Indies, The Birds and the Bees, Never Lost At Home, Friends! The Musical Parody, Hugh Jackman The Show, Cruel Intentions, Once, We’ll Live and Die In These Towns, Noise Boys, Kinky Boots, Million Dollar Quartet, Jersey Boys, Room, Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.
Recorded media includes: Mimi’s World, Waybuloo, Grandpa In My Pocket, What’s Your News, Planet Cook.
Production Manager
Sam Paterson
Sam Paterson
Sam Paterson is the Production Manager for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
Voice & Dialect Coach
Simone Sauphanor
Simone Sauphanor
Simone Sauphanor (she/her) is the Voice and Dialect Coach for The Playboy Of The West Indies.
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