Final casting for Myth: the Rise and Fall of Orpheus, directed by Arlene Phillips and playing at The Other Palace from 10 March, includes Jaymi Hensley, best known for his work in boy band Union J.
Featuring music, book and lyrics by Sam Cassidy, Myth: the Rise and Fall of Orpheus is a modern retelling of the Ancient
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Greek tale of Orpheus and the underworld, looking at mental illness and addiction in society.
Previously titled 27, the musical features a revised book and new songs and is also set to star: Zoe Birkett, Joe Burman, Richard Carson, Eloise Davies, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Lauren Ellis-Steele, Joel Harper-Jackson, Jaymi Hensley, Jodie Jacobs, Laura Johnson, Shekinah McFarlane, Matthew McKenna, Alice Martin, Jodie Steele, Jessamy Stoddard and Damien Walsh.
Myth: The Rise and Fall of Orpheus is a modern retelling of the Ancient Greek tale of Orpheus and the underworld, looking at mental illness and addiction in society and more specifically the rock music business, with a storyline with echoes of the tragically short lives of some of music’s brightest stars, including Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.
Talking about the production, Phillips said: “We were inspired by the recent workshop performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express and believed this method of presentation would be invaluable to the development of Myth: The Rise and Fall of Orpheus.”
Meanwhile, writer Cassidy explained: “It’s true that musicals are not written, but rather rewritten, and this is a fantastic opportunity. In 2016, we opened a completely new British rock musical and enjoyed a very successful six-week season at the 170-seat Cockpit Theatre. We had great audiences, with many people seeing it more than once, but we were not completely happy with elements of the production. I’ve since looked at the book, revised the storyline, dropped some songs and added new ones. This latest run will give us the chance to see how this new version works with the chance for audiences to give us feedback.”
The production will be semi-staged and performed by a live six-piece rock band. The full creative team has yet to be announced.
