Photo Flash: First Look at THE LIFE at Southwark Playhouse

The hit Broadway musical The Life makes its long awaited London debut, directed by the show's original Broadway director, Michael Blakemore, at Southwark Playhouse for a strictly limited season now through 29 April 2017, with press night on 29 March. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Life includes John Addison (Jojo), David Albury (Fleetwood), Jalisa Andrews (Chichi), Matthew Caputo (Oddjob), Lawrence Carmichael (Snickers), Sharon D. Clarke (Sonja), Omari Douglas (Slick), Aisha Jawando (Carmen), Cornell S. John (Memphis), Thomas-Lee Kidd (Bobby), Charlotte Reavey (April), Jo Servi (Lacy), Lucinda Shaw (Tracy), Johnathan Tweedie (Theodore), T'Shan Williams (Queen) and Joanna Woodward (Mary).

The Life features a rarely heard score by celebrated composer Cy Coleman (City of Angels, Sweet Charity, Barnum) and is based on an original idea by lyricist Ira Gasman. The Life, features a book by Coleman, Gasman and David Newman with book revisions for this production by Michael Blakemore.

A thrilling exposé of the darker side of 1980's New York, The Life is a defiant and heartfelt musical about Times Square before it was cleaned up. A world of pimps and prostitutes, innocents and opportunists, it's a gutsy and gritty joyride filled with both pathos and fun.

Queen (T'Shan Williams), a young girl from Savannah, and Fleetwood (David Albury), a Vietnam vet with a drug habit, are trying to make it in a merciless New York. Queen is forced into part-time prostitution and 'The Life' describes how these two lovers move through this dark world until Queen is helped by her one true friend, an older more experienced hooker, Sonja (Sharon D. Clarke), to make her escape.

On this journey, we meet Memphis (Cornell S. John), the all-powerful king pimp, the girls he controls, Jojo (John Addison), the hustler, who makes it all happen, and the fresh-faced Mary (Joanna Woodward), straight off the bus from small town Minnesota, only too eager to embrace 'The Life'.

20 years after Michael Blakemore originally directed this musical gem, the new production of The Life is produced by Amy Anzel, Matt Chisling, and Catherine Schreiber, with Jenny Eastop as associate director, set and costume designs by Justin Nardella, choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, projection designs by Nina Dunn, lighting by David Howe, sound design by Sebastian Frost, musical direction by Tamara Saringer and casting by Anne Vosser.

For more information, visit www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk.