What's New Pussycat? New musical featuring hits of Tom Jones to play Leeds Playhouse

Leeds Playhouse to stage new musical What's New Pussycat featuring the hit songs of the legendary Sir Tom Jones in September 2020.

What's New Pussycat?, a brand new musical featuring the iconic songs of the internationally celebrated singer Sir Tom Jones, and written by the Tony-Award winning Joe DiPietro (Memphis the Musical), will premiere at Leeds Playhouse on 23 September.

What's New Pussycat? takes Henry Fielding's classic comic novel, The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling and using the legendary hit songs of Sir Tom Jones, casts it in a fresh and vibrant new light in the swinging 60s. The production will include the songs such as; Green, Green Grass of Home, It’s Not Unusual, Leave Your Hat On, Delilah, Mama Told Me Not To Come, Sex Bomb and, What’s New Pussycat?

This joyous new musical will be directed by Luke Sheppard, whose most recent production – the acclaimed &Juliet – has taken the West End by storm since it opened last year and is nominated for nine Olivier Awards including Best New Musical.

Luke will be joined by legendary choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge, Arlene Phillips CBE, award-winning Set Designer Jon Bausor (Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games, Bat Out of Hell), Costume Designer Gabriella Slade (Six), Music Supervisor and Orchestrations by Matthew Brind (Paddington 2, Last Night at the Proms, Strictly Come Dancing), Lighting Designer Howard Hudson (Winner Best Lighting Design for &Juliet at the 2020 WhatsOnStage awards), Sound Designer Gareth Owen (Winner Olivier Award for Best Sound Design for Come From Away) and Casting Director Stuart Burt CDG.

Director Luke Sheppard said: “Sometimes you work on a show and you know it could be really special, and our first staged reading of this piece left me flying high. It’s down to the amazing synergy between a fiercely witty script that takes this classic novel and casts it in a fresh and vibrant new light in the swinging 60s, and an incredible catalogue of music that has such range it can break your heart one moment and have you on the dance floor the next. It’s a joyous show with the challenges facing two young people at the centre of it, and I can’t wait to bring it to life at the beautiful newly reopened Leeds Playhouse.”

Leeds Playhouse Artistic Director James Brining said: “This autumn sees the 50th anniversary of Leeds Playhouse and What's New Pussycat? will be a fantastic way to kick off those celebrations. This will be a fun-filled production about love, laughter and living life to the full all to the soundtrack of Sir Tom Jones’ incredible songs. Luke Sheppard is an extraordinarily talented director and I can’t wait to welcome him to the Playhouse to create this brilliant new production.”

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