Menier Chocolate Factory Presents CANDIDE Tonight

Following on from Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Sweet Charity, Pippinand Merrily We Roll Along, the Menier Chocolate Factory is delighted to announce that its Christmas musical will be Candide with music by Leonard Bernstein, book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur and additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Park and Leonard Bernstein.

From Westphalia to the far reaches of the New World, Candide's journey of discovery is anything but dull. Through anguish, happiness, loss and love this is a whirlwind adventure that seeks to prove 'life is happiness indeed'. Leonard Bernstein joyous musical romp features the classics 'Glitter and Be Gay' and 'Make Our Garden Grow'

The production is directed by Matthew White whose credits include The Last Five Years, Little Shop of Horrors and Sweet Charity for the Chocolate Factory and, most recently, Top Hat - Olivier award winner Best New Musical).

Choreography is by Adam Cooper whose credits include On Your Toes (Leicester Haymarket & Royal Festival Hall - Critics' Circle National Dance Award for Best Choreography), Carousel (Savoy) and Grand Hotel (Donmar - Olivier nomination). As a dancer, Adam originated the role of The Swan in Swan Lake and The Pilot in Cinderella for Matthew Bourne. He most recently starred in Singin' In The Rain (Chichester / Palace theatre).

The creative team also includes: David Charles Abell (Musical Supervision). Credits include Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George (Chatelet, Paris), Finding Neverland (Leicester Curve), Love Never Dies (Adelphi), BBC Proms tribute to Stephen Sondheim and Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert at the O2.

Paul Farnsworth (Set & Costume Design). Credits include: The Invisible Man, Smash! and Charley's Aunt (for the Chocolate Factory). Other design credits include: Lend Me a Tenor - The Musical (Gielgud), Whistle Down the Wind (Palace theatre & UK tour), Follies (RFH) andPassion (Queen's - Olivier nomination for Best Set Design).

Paul Anderson (Lighting Design). Credits include: Proof, Torch Song Trilogy, Educating Rita & Shirley Valentine, Terrible Advice, Talentand Little Shop of Horrors (all for the Chocolate Factory). Other recent theatre includes: This House, Amen Corner (National Theatre) and The Master and Margarita (Complicite - Olivier nomination Best Lighting Design).

Gareth Owen (Sound Design). Credits include: Merrily We Roll Along, Sweet Charity, La Cage aux Folles, Pippin, Road Show, Aspects of Love, A Little Night Music (Tony nomination) and Little Shop of Horrors (all for the Chocolate Factory). Other credits include Top Hat(Aldwych - Olivier nomination) and End of the Rainbow (Trafalgar Studios, Broadway, US tour - Olivier & Tony nomination).

Seann Alderking (Musical Direction). Credits include: Marguerite (Musical Supervisor, Haymarket), Napoleon (Musical Supervisor, Shaftesbury) and Rebecca (Musical Supervisor, Vienna).

Jason Carr (Orchestrations). Credits include: Sunday in the Park with George (Menier, West End & Broadway - Drama Desk award winner and Tony nomination), A Little Night Music ((Menier, West End & Broadway) and La Cage aux Folles (Menier, West End & Broadway - Tony nomination).

Tickets on sale to Chocolate Factory members from Monday 2nd September and to the general public from 9am on Wednesday 11thSeptember.

For more information, visit: www.menierchocolatefactory.com.