Have you seen the musical that gave us the Christmas single Mistletoe and Wine? The Little Match Girl, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic short story, gets a major London revival this Christmas, directed by the original musical’s composer Keith Strachan. Full cast – including the newcomer who takes the title role – is announced today.
The Little Match Girl runs at London’s Tabard Theatre from 7 to 31 December 2017, with a press night on 8 December.
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Cold Victorian London and our Little Match Girl is out on the streets selling matches. She is not allowed home with her father until she has sold them. She meets Arthur, a cocky friendly lad who helps her sell her matches and who she begins to rely on as her friend.
Through him, she dreams of a better life. Will he prove to be her saviour? As she strikes matches to keep warm, she is magically transported to a make-believe world where her wishes come to life. Could this lead to a future with Arthur that our heroine dreams of?
Hans Christian Andersen‘s story was first published in 1845. This musical version was first seen at London’s Orange Tree Theatre forty years ago and was subsequently adapted for television by HTV in 1986, starring Roger Daltrey and Twiggy. The musical includes the songs Are you An Angel, Queen of the Street and, most famously, Mistletoe and Wine which won the musical an Ivor Novello Award and went on to become a No.1 hit Christmas single for Cliff Richard in 1988.
This new production is directed by Keith Strachan, with musical direction by Richie Hart, design by Mike Leopold and costumes by Carrie Ann Stein. The Little Match Girl has book and lyrics by Jeremy Paul and Leslie Stewart and music by Strachan.
Emily Cochrane
Emily Cochrane, recently graduated from Glasgow’s GAMTA, leads the cast as the Little Match Girl. She’s joined by joined by Jack Ayres, Aimee Barrett, Charlotte Christensen, Julia Faulkner, Rob Hadden, Kathryn Hamilton-Hall, Matt Philip Harris, Ian McCurrach, Emily Whiting and Anthony Williamson.
Keith Strachan has worked extensively in theatre and television as director, musical director, arranger and composer. His theatre credits, as director, include Dog Ends (Tabard Theatre), Dreamboats and Petticoats, Dancing In The Streets, Elvis The Musical, Four Steps to Heaven (West End and national tour), Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (West End), Dreamboats and Miniskirts,Save The last Dance For Me, Laughter In The Rain, Can’t Smile Without You, Sweet Soul Music, Tommy, Rock & Roll Heaven, The Concert They Never Gave, The Blues Brothers Meet The Soul Sisters, Thank You For The Music, Dancing In The Streets, Only The Lonely, The Sound Of Fury (all UK tours) and No Trams To Lime Street (Liverpool Playhouse). Strachan also devised the John Lennon musical Imagine with Ian Kellgren in 1992, and co-wrote the musical Baby Love with Richard Harris in 1995. In the late 1980s, he worked in television, as a musical director and arranger on shows such as Live From Her Majesty’s, New Faces, Spitting Image and The Morecambe and Wise Show.
About the Tabard
The Tabard is an intimate, 80 seat theatre close to Turnham Green tube station in Chiswick, London. It opened in 1985 above the Tabard Pub, a popular and historic local landmark. Over the years, the Tabard Theatre has played a key role in the development of London Theatre, highly acclaimed for its professional work and extremely popular within the community of West London. It has recently undergone a full refurbishment with new seats and an expanded Front of House area. It has just presented the sell-out revival of Karoline Leach’s thriller Tryst, starring Natasha J Barnes.
