NEWS TICKER
Kevin McHale to Star in Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse Borough, Full Cast Announced
Published on
March 28, 2025
By
Julia Jordan
A Rarely-Seen Sondheim Comedy Gets a Star-Studded UK Revival
Southwark Playhouse Borough will host a major revival of The Frogs this summer, as Glee star Kevin McHale makes his UK stage debut in the Stephen Sondheim musical comedy. The production, running from 23 May to 28 June 2025, will be directed by Georgie Rankcom and features a newly announced cast joining McHale in this rarely seen, riotously inventive work.
Written by Aristophanes in 405 BC and freely adapted by Burt Shevelove and Nathan Lane, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, The Frogs is a sharp, surreal, and satirical musical that tackles politics, philosophy, and art through the lens of classic Greek comedy—with plenty of contemporary resonance.
The Story: A Descent into Hades for the Sake of Humanity
Set in a world teetering on the edge of despair, The Frogs follows the god Dionysos and his servant Xanthias as they descend into the Underworld on a quest to bring back a playwright who can help save civilization. Along the way, they confront opinionated deities, literary giants, and a chorus of highly resistant frogs determined to preserve the status quo.
With a script adapted by Nathan Lane and a score by Sondheim, this musical brings ancient satire into vivid, modern relevance.
Kevin McHale Makes UK Stage Debut
Best known for playing Artie Abrams on Glee, Kevin McHale stars as Xanthias. In addition to his screen work on The Office, American Horror Stories, and When We Rise, McHale recently starred in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Kennedy Center and co-hosts the iHeart podcast And That’s What You Really Missed.
Further Casting Announced
Joining McHale on stage are a number of acclaimed performers from across the UK theatre scene:
Dan Buckley as Dionysos
Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Herakles
Carl Patrick as Charon
Bart Lambert as Shakespeare (and cover Xanthias)
Martha Pothen as Shaw (and cover Dionysos)
Alison Driver as Ariadne & Swing
Evonnee Bentley-Holder as Ensemble (cover Shaw & Charon)
Milo McCarthy as Ensemble/Dance Captain (cover Shakespeare & Herakles)
Casting for the role of Pluto will be announced soon.
Creative Team
The production features an accomplished creative team:
Director: Georgie Rankcom
Musical Supervisor: Ben McQuigg
Musical Director: Yshani Perinpanayagam
Choreographer: Matt Nicholson
Set and Costume Designer: Libby Todd
Lighting Designer: Samuel Biondolillo
Sound Designer: Joshua Robins
Orchestration: Tim Sutton
Casting Director: Peter Noden
A Show with Theatrical History
The Frogs was first staged in 1971 by students at Yale University—including a young Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver—and famously took place in a swimming pool. The 2004 Broadway revival added seven new Sondheim songs and featured Nathan Lane, who also contributed further script revisions.
Following their successful revival of Anyone Can Whistle in 2022, producers The Grey Area return to Southwark Playhouse with another lesser-known Sondheim gem.
Performance Information
Venue: Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD
Dates: 23 May – 28 June 2025
Press Night: Tuesday 27 May at 7pm
Show Times: 7pm evenings, 2.30pm Tuesday & Saturday matinees
Tickets: £10–£35
Age Guidance: 12+
With an acclaimed creative team, a bold cast led by Kevin McHale, and a musical score by one of theatre’s greatest composers, The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse promises to be a sharp, hilarious, and poignant night at the theatre. A must-see for Sondheim aficionados and comedy lovers alike.
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