BRAND-NEW LIFE-AFFIRMING BRITISH MUSICAL
THE RHYTHMICS
TO PREMIERE AT THE SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
2 DECEMBER 2021 – 8 JANUARY 2022
www.therhythmics.co.uk
Twitter – @TheRhythmics_
Aria Entertainment and Metta Theatre– two of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – are pleased to announce the premiere of brand-new life affirming musical THE RHYTHMICS this winter, playing at the Southwark Playhouse from 2 December to 8 January, with a press night on Tuesday 7 December.
With book and lyrics by Metta’s Artistic Director P Burton-Morgan, and music and lyrics from Stiles + Drewe award winner Ben Glasstone (Reanimator), THE RHYTHMICS explores the crisis of masculinity via a collection of oddballs belting their way through a thrillingly catchy guitar-led score.
Hapless single-dad Grey is in a rut. Teenage daughter Silva packs him off to revive his rockstar dreams, successfully auditioning for ‘Nick & the Rhythmics’ only to realise… he’s actually signed up for an All-male Rhythmic Gymnastics troupe. Against the odds these burly blokes make it as far as the World Championships – twirling their ‘ribbons of fire’ – and along the way Grey finally learns to commit to life. Calendar Girls meets The Full Monty in this joyous new British musical.
P Burton-Morgan says, “So thrilled to finally share the world premiere of this original new British musical with live audiences. I can’t think of anything more uplifting to welcome people back into theatres than this heart warming and hilarious tale of community and connection. A tonic for our times; Ben’s joyous score is an absolute bop.”
THE RHYTHMICS is directed by P Burton-Morgan, with choreography by Mark Smith, with Erika Gundesen as Musical Director, Ellie Vekerk as Musical Supervisor, James Nicholson as sound designer, Francine Huin-Wah as costume designer, Jane Deitch as casting director, and Will Reynolds as set and lighting designer.
A cast album for the show was created last year during lockdown under socially distanced rules in studios across London, Brighton and Glasgow, and released in July 2020. The album is available via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music and other digital platforms.
Like the music video Got Your Back, created to accompany the release of the album, the full production will also feature BSL integrated choreography from Deaf men Dancing’s Mark Smith, as well as captions throughout all performances, to make the show accessible for D/deaf and hard of hearing audiences.
Award-winning Metta Theatre is one of the UK’s leading mid-scale touring companies – making exceptional theatre and opera that represents and celebrates the diversity of our world. They are known for combining emotionally powerful performances with imaginative theatricality and striking visual style. After their smash hit street-dance Jungle Book (Theatre Royal Windsor, UK & Int. tours), circus-musical Little Mermaid (Theatre By The Lake & UK tour) and BSL integrated hip hop musical In The Willows (Exeter Northcott & UK tour) Metta Theatre have spent the last year recording and releasing 5 cast albums of their new original British musicals including The Rhythmics, HouseFire, In The Willows, Little Prince & Cells. Other previous productions include Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios) and Arab Nights (Soho Theatre & UK tour).
Aria Entertainment was founded in 2012 by Katy Lipson. In 2017, Katy was awarded the Best Producer award by the Off-West End Awards and is a recipient of a Stage One Bursary and Start Up Award. She took part in the first ever UK/US Producer Exchange in 2019 and was nominated for International Producer Of The Year in 2020 by the League Of Professional Women in New York. She made “The Stage 100” a list of the most influential people working in British Theatre in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and also 2021. Katy recently produced CRUISE at The Duchess Theatre and is producing The Addams Family Tour as well as THE LAST 5 YEARS at the Garrick Theatre. She was Producing Artistic Director at the Hope Mill Theatre from 2016-2019 where she produced and general managed 13 in house musicals.