The world premiere of NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, a brand-new British musical written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, will visit Mayflower Theatre from Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 January 2025.
It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion.
Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?
Get ready to relive the playlist of your life by celebrating 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOW That’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide.
This fun-filled evening is bursting with hits from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet and so many more.
“This is a beautiful and funny story about two schoolgirls navigating life through their shared love of music,” says Craig Revel Horwood. “Pippa has written a script that takes you right back to sharing your Walkman headphones with your best friend, escaping the boring day to day, and dancing like nobody is watching.
“Everybody remembers getting the latest NOW That’s What I Call Music album! Our show is packed full of the biggest hits of the era and I cannot wait to get started and you will love it.”
Jamii Layton, Managing Director of NOW That’s What I Call Music adds: “Now That’s What I Call Music will be 40 years old in November, and with our albums having become such an integral part of the soundtrack of peoples’ lives over that time, it is thrilling for the brand to be headlining such a warm and fun-packed show.
“NOW has always celebrated the creative diversity and all-round magic of pop music. This combination of a life-affirming story and fantastic music selection will make such a strong connection with the audience. It’s a great way for NOW to salute our legacy and also look forward to the future, continuing to celebrate the best in past and present hits.”
Nina Wadia will star as Gemma, and Sam Bailey as April, as well as an be an array of special guest stars playing themselves and singing the songs that made them NOW icons. The special guest star for Southampton will be Sonia.
The creative team will include set and costume design by Tom Rogers and Toots Butcher, musical supervision and arrangements by Mark Crossland, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs and hair design by Sam Cox, associate choreography by Aaron Renfree, and casting by Annelie Powell CDG.
NOW is produced by ROYO, Universal Music UK, SONY Music Entertainment and Mighty Village.
Tickets for NOW That’s What I Call A Musical (Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 January 2025) are on sale at at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.
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