Boo sponsored World premiere of The Book Thief announces creative team
Boo sponsored World premiere of The Book Thief announces creative team
Exciting news!
Saturday 17th September – Saturday 15th October 2022
Press Night: Thursday 22nd September 2022, 7.30pm
Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB
Coming to the Octagon Theatre Bolton this autumn, the musical adaptation of The Book Thief has announced its full creative team. This beloved book is brought to life with a script by award-winning author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper and Small Great Things) and Timothy Allen McDonald (adaptor of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and James and the Giant Peach). The music and lyrics are by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Walt Disney Animation Studios; Central Park, Apple TV+). Adapted from Markus Zusak’s worldwide best-selling novel, this hauntingly beautiful tale set in 1930s Nazi-Germany follows courageous young orphan Liesel as she enters a dangerous game of book thievery.
Co-writer Jodi Picoult comments, The Book Thief, as a novel, is a blockbuster that has sold over 20 million copies and deeply moved readers all over the world. Having the chance to bring it to life three-dimensionally in a world premiere musical at the Octagon is a dream for us!
The story of a foster child in Nazi Germany — who learns the power words have to both hurt and to heal — feels painfully relevant today. We hope that Liesel’s journey will inspire audiences to take a stand in the face of adversity, and to be agents of change in an increasingly divided world.
Octagon Artistic Director and director of The Book Thief, Lotte Wakeham added, I am absolutely thrilled to be opening our new season with this world premiere brand new musical adaptation of one of my all-time favourite books. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been busy workshopping the show and I cannot wait for audiences to finally see it! It’s an incredibly relevant, moving story and I’m so happy to be staging it in Bolton in our wonderful, newly refurbished theatre.
I am delighted that we can now announce the brilliant creative team who will be working with me on the production – they are all incredibly talented individuals who have already brought so many fantastic and imaginative ideas to the process. I’m confident that we’re going to create a beautiful and timeless piece of musical theatre.
The production will be directed by the Octagon’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham (One Man Two Guvnors, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre) and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves (Amélie, Criterion Theatre; Rent, Hope Mill Theatre), with musical direction and orchestrations by Matthew Malone (Coming to England, Birmingham Rep; Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre) and design from Good Teeth aka James Perkins and Victoria Smart (The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s Globe; Little Shop of Horrors, Royal Exchange Manchester). The production will also feature lighting design by Nic Farman (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, UK Tour; Spring Awakening, Hope Mill Theatre), puppet design by Samuel Wilde (The Fir Tree, Shakespeare’s Globe; Electra, Bunker Theatre) and sound design by Andy Graham (The Upstart Crow, Apollo Theatre; One Man Two Guvnors, Octagon Theatre).
The wider production team includes Associate Director Georgia Wang Murphy (Cyrano de Bergerac, Southwark Playhouse; Frills and Spills, Camden People’s Theatre), Associate Musical Director George Strickland (Good Fun, King’s Head Theatre; The Regulars, Hope Mill Theatre), Casting Director Jacob Sparrow (City of Angels, Garrick Theatre; Our Town, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Assistant Casting Director Olivia Barr (Kes, Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre) and Production Manager Dan Turner (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Duke of York’s Theatre).
This production is proudly sponsored by Boo Coaching & Consulting.
Notes to Editors
Title The Book Thief
Dates Saturday 17th September – Saturday 15th October 2022
Location Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB
How to Get There The Octagon is situated in the heart of the town centre, opposite the Library and Museum. They are a five minute walk from Bolton Train Station and Bus Interchange.
The nearest car park is the Octagon NCP multi-storey car park (Postcode: BL1 1TN). After 6pm there is free on-street parking on Le Mans Crescent including disabled parking bays, although spaces are limited.
Running Time TBC
Times Monday – Saturday, 7.30pm Thursday and Saturday matinee, 2pm
Box Office Standard tickets from £15. Purchase is available from the box office on 01204 520661 or by booking online at
https://octagonbolton.co.uk/
Age Guidance and Notes 11+
Twitter @octagontheatre
Instagram @octagontheatre
Facebook www.facebook.com/OctagonBolton
Octagon Theatre Bolton
Octagon Theatre Bolton is a regional producing theatre that makes popular, bold and adventurous theatre of the highest quality. We believe theatre matters because everyone’s story matters and aim to entertain, inspire and engage as many people as possible through theatre. We are leaders in ensuring arts and culture thrive in Bolton working with thousands of young people and community groups every year. The Octagon reopened in May 2021 following a major redevelopment, funded by Bolton Council and Arts Council England. The redevelopment is the largest transformation of the building in the Octagon’s history and will ensure the future of the Theatre for generations to come.
All enquiries, high res images and further information:
Caitlin Plimmer, Chloé Nelkin Consulting
E: caitlin@chloenelkinconsulting.com, T: 020 3627 2960
