Chocolate Factory Announces European Premiere Of Sondheim's ROAD SHOW, From July 6

Following on from the Menier Chocolate Factory's acclaimed productions of Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's latest musical, ROAD SHOW, directed and designed by the Tony Award-winning John Doyle and featuring David Bedella, Michael Jibson, Jon Robyns and Gillian Bevan, premieres in a brand new production at the Menier Chocolate Factory on 6 July 2011.

ROAD SHOW sees John Doyle's return to the UK after taking Broadway by storm with his physically scaled-down, emotionally intensified productions of the Sondheim classics Sweeney Todd (which started at the Watermill Theatre, transferred to the West End and then to Broadway and for which he received the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical) and Company. Set in the early part of the 20th century ROAD SHOW tells the true boom-and-bust story of the architect Addison Mizner and his fast-talking brother Wilson, two of the most colourful and outrageous fortune-seekers in American history.  From panning for gold in Alaska to building the city of Boca Raton in Florida, both were driven by the need to succeed - at whatever cost.

Unfortunately, this left them with a trail of debts, disastrous relationships (including their own as brothers) and unfulfilled dreams. Written in 1999 and originally entitled Wise Guys, it was directed by Sam Mendes and starred Nathan Lane and Victor Garber. Renamed Bounce in 2003, it was directed by Harold Prince and played in Chicago and Washington, DC. John Doyle previously staged and designed ROAD SHOW at The Public Theater in New York in 2008.

Sondheim and his book writer John Weidman (who previously collaborated on Pacific Overtures and Assassins), took the tone of ROAD SHOW from the "Road" pictures, a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. The movies were a combination of adventure, comedy, romance, and music.

David Bedella (Wilson Mizner) is currently appearing as Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre. He won the 2004 Olivier Award - Best Actor In A Musical for Jerry Springer - The Opera and his films include Red Light Runner with Harvey Keitel and Alexander directed by Oliver Stone; Michael Jibson (Addison Mizner) last appeared at the Chocolate Factory as Charles Lindbergh in Take Flight and has appeared in the West End in the RSC's Canterbury Tales and in Our House (Olivier nomination); his films include Panic Button directed by Chris Crow and Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Cemetery Junction; Jon Robyns (Hollis Bessemer) recently appeared in Avenue Q and played Marius in Les Miserables in the West End and at the 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2; Gillian Bevan (Mama Mizner) is no stranger to Sondheim having performed in the Donmar's concert version of Company (Queen's Theatre) and in the original cast of Follies (Shaftesbury Theatre). On television Gillian played the Headmistress in C4's Teachers.

John Doyle is currently directly Lucia di Lammermoor at La Fenice in Venice. His other recent productions include Madame Butterfly (Pimlico Opera Tour, 2010 and Grange Park Opera, 2012); Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival); Peter Grimes (Metropolitan Opera, New York); for the Watermill Theatre: Merrily We Roll Along, Mack and Mabel (also West End/tour), Fiddler on the Roof and The Gondoliers (also West End), both of which won TMA Best Musical Award; A Catered Affair
(Broadway); and Amadeus (Wilton's Music Hall). He has recently directed the feature film Main Street starring Ellen Burstyn, Colin Firth and Orlando Bloom.

The ensemble for ROAD SHOW includes Adrian Der Gregorian, Fiona Dunn, Sarah Ingram, Julie Jupp, Glyn Kerslake, Elizabeth Marsh, Christopher Ragland and Robbie Scotcher.

Musical supervision and direction is by Catherine Jayes, costume design by Matthew Wright, lighting design by Jane Cox and sound design by Gareth Owen.

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