THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD Comes to the Bridewell Theatre in March

Sedos will present The Mystery of Edwin Drood, its first musical production of the year, at the Bridewell Theatre from 22-26 March 2022.

With music, book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, and loosely based on Charles Dickens' famously unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a unique theatrical experience, where the audience at each performance is invited to vote on how the show should end.

This wildly warm-hearted show kicks off when the Music Hall Royale (a hilariously raucous Victorian musical troupe) puts on its flamboyant rendition of an unfinished Dickens mystery. The story itself deals with John Jasper, a Jekyll-and-Hyde choirmaster who is quite madly in love with his music student, the fair Miss Rosa Bud. Miss Bud is, in turn, engaged to Jasper's nephew, young Edwin Drood.

Our title character disappears mysteriously one stormy Christmas Eve - but has Edwin Drood been murdered? And if so, then whodunnit? YOU, the audience, have the power to affect the outcome, so the final plot revelations can be different at every performance!

Director Mark Siddall said, "It is an absolute joy to be staging The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Bridewell Theatre with Sedos. Our production was originally planned to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Charles Dickens' death in 2020, but we are delighted to present the musical now after an 18-month delay.

"The show-within-a-show throws together traditional Victorian elements of Dickens and Music Hall, blending comedy and melodrama, and adds a fantastic metatheatrical twist. Due to the unfinished nature of the book, we turn to the audience at every show to determine how the story should be resolved.

"There are over 300 possible combinations for the show's climax, but our amazing cast are up to the challenge of acting out the audience's decisions at a moment's notice. We can guarantee you will have never seen a show like this before!"

The show's original Broadway production won five Tony Awards in 1986, including Best Musical.

Sedos has been resident theatre company at the Bridewell Theatre since 2012.

Upcoming Sedos productions include When the Rain Stops Falling (22-26 February) and American Idiot (4-14 May).

More details and tickets: sedos.co.uk

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