2ndCP Presents Sondheim's ASSASSINS 3/20-4/08

Following a string of sell out shows, 2nd Company Productions (2ndCP) will be moving from the 56-seat Pleasance Studio Space to the 288 seat Main Space for its latest and most ambitious project to date, Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS. It will run from 20th March to 8th April at The Pleasance Theatre Main Space in Islington. Press night will be held on Thursday 22nd March.

Over twenty years on from the original Broadway and London productions, this multi-award winning musical explores and scrutinises America – a country where some grow up to become a President, and others are left in The Shadows, their fate destined towards murderous intentions. This production is not suitable for children under 10.

The cast is comprised of well-known names including Martin Dickinson (Jekyll and Hyde) as John Wilkes Booth, John Jo Flynn (Les Miserables) as The Balladeer and Above The Stag's resident director Tim McArthur as Samuel Byck.

Martin Dickinson, who has just launched an album entitled 'Encore' under the Dress Circle Label, said today  "After the work put into Encore, I must be mad to move immediately on to the role of John Wilkes Booth in Assassins.  But meeting the cast and crew, and getting to work on the piece has reminded me exactly why I am a musical theatre performer."

Ray Rackham, Artistic Director and founder of 2ndCP said, "Assassins was originally conceived as a show to be produced off-Broadway, away from the bright lights of the commercial mainstream.  I am therefore delighted that we are producing this revival on the Fringe, but are taking the best part of the West End with us: the talent.  To have put together such a strong cast demonstrates how important the fringe is to London's theatre scene. I'm excited to be moving into the bigger Pleasance Main Space, and I think it shows that 2ndCP is moving onto new horizons. I'm looking forward to the ride, primarily because we're taking our friends with us. "

Tickets are £15 and can be purchased here.

2ndCP is an organisation committed to promoting the works of Stephen Sondheim and music theatre writers from the Sondheim school. They are dedicated to the promotion of arts and culture on the London fringe; celebrating the very best of the generous London-based talent pool; providing actors and singers with exposure to larger audiences, casting directors, writers and composers; all under the umbrella of celebrating one particular composer-lyricist's canon of work that will never be surpassed.

2ndCP is lead by Artistic Directors Ray Rackham and David Keefe, who directed and musical directed a fringe production of Company together and raised the entire investment to transfer it to the Pleasance, for its Christmas season, in one 48 hour period, in 2010.

Ray Rackham produced and directed Barbara Cook's Sondheim based concert series Happily Ever After at the Fortune Theatre. He was also associate producer for the Palladium production of Follies, which starred Maria Friedman, Phillip Quast, Liz Robertson, Imelda Staunton and Dame Josephine Barstow among others; and the 30th Anniversary production of Side by Side by Sondheim, featuring the original Side by Siders, Julia McKenzie, Millicent Martin, David Kernan, and the late Ned Sherrin.

The creative team behind this production is Ray Rackham, Joe Bunker and Chris Whittaker, with brand new orchestrations by David Keefe.The licensing allows 150 tickets to be sold per night for this production.

More information can be found at: www.2ndcompany.com