THE LIGHT PRINCESS a new musical from Tori Amos & Samuel Adamson to open at the National Theatre on 9 Oct

THE LIGHT PRINCESS 

Lyttelton Theatre

Previews from 25 September, continuing in repertoire until early 2014 (more dates in December, January and February will be announced with the next booking period)

Booking opens 1st July

THE LIGHT PRINCESS, a new musical with music and lyrics by Tori Amos and book and lyrics by Samuel Adamson, will open in the Lyttelton Theatre on 9 October, directed by Marianne Elliott. A dark fairytale about grief, rebellion and the power of love, the production will be designed by Rae Smith, with lighting by Paule Constable and choreography by Steven Hoggett. The music supervisor will be Martin Lowe, with vocal arrangements by Tori Amos and Martin Lowe and arrangements by John Philip Shenale; animations by Matthew Robins, puppetry direction by Finn Caldwell, puppetry designs by Toby Olié; aerial designs by Paul Rubin and sound by Simon Baker; the associate choreographer will be Neil Bettles.

The cast is Amy Booth-Steel, Stephanie Bron, Vivien Carter, James Charlton, Rosalie Craig (Althea), Hal Fowler, Owain Gwynn, Nicola Hart, Nick Hendrix (Digby), C J Johnson, Luke Johnson, David Langham, Richard Lowe, Tommy Luther, Jamie Muscato, Emma Norin, Malinda Parris, Kane Oliver Parry, Adam Pearce, Caspar Phillipson, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Clive Rowe, Nuno Silva, Phoebe Street, Ben Thompson, and Lynne Wilmot.

Once in opposing kingdoms lived a princess and a prince who had lost their mothers. Althea, unable to cry, became light with grief and floated, and so was locked away. Digby became so heavy-hearted that he could never smile, and so was trained as a warrior.

One day, he declares war. Althea is forced out of hiding and down to ground but, in defiance of her father, she escapes, only to encounter the solemn prince on contested land. Beside a lake the warring heirs begin a passionate and illicit affair. But for Althea to find real love, she must first confront the world’s darkness and face her own deepest fears.

Tori Amos is a multi Grammy-nominated singer/composer/pianist whose catalogue of 13 albums have sold more than 12 million copies. They include her debut 1992 album Little Earthquakes; 1994’s Under The Pink (with the worldwide hit ‘Cornflake Girl’); and the 1996 album Boys For Pele which featured the UK chart-topping ‘Professional Widow’. Amos' latest two recordings have been on the classical label Deutsche Grammophon, for whom her label debut Night of Hunters won an Echo Music Award in 2012, and with which she also made history by becoming the first woman simultaneously to have a top 10 Album on the US Billboard Charts in the Classical, Alternative and Rock Categories.

Samuel Adamson’s plays and adaptations include Southwark Fair; Mrs Affleck, a new play from Ibsen’s Little Eyolf; and Pillars of the Community, also from Ibsen, for the National Theatre; Breakfast at Tiffany’s, from the novel by Truman Capote (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Some Kind of Bliss (Trafalgar Studios); All About My Mother (from Almodóvar’s film, Old Vic); Drink, Dance, Laugh and Lie (Bush Theatre); Grace Note (Old Vic); and Clocks and Whistles (Bush Theatre).

Marianne Elliott is an Associate Director of the National Theatre, where she has co-directed War Horse (Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play), and directed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also now in the West End; 7 Olivier Awards including Best Director), Port, Season’s Greetings, All’s Well That Ends Well, Harper Regan, Saint Joan (Olivier Award for Best Revival, South Bank Show Award for Theatre) and Pillars of the Community (Evening Standard Award for Best Director).

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/