Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre 2020 season includes new 101 Dalmatians musical

Timothy Sheader has announced next year's season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre which will include a musical adaptation of 101 Dalmatians.

The musical, based on Dodie Smith's iconic story, is the first to be newly commissioned by the theatre and features music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge. The novel was first published in 1956 and tells the story of the evil Cruella de Vil who kidnaps puppies to turn them into fur coats. It was also adapted into a major motion picture for Disney in 1996 starring Glen Close.

Directed by Sheader, it will run at the theatre from 16^th May to 21^st June with puppetry design by Toby Olié, sets and costume by Katrina Lindsay, choreography by Liam Steel, musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting by Howard Hudson, and musical direction by Tarek Merchant.

Kimberley Sykes will then direct a production of Romeo and Juliet from 27^th June to 25^th July. Sykes' credits include Ironman at The Pleasance, Strands and Vol Au Vent at Theatre503.

Then, following their collaboration on Jesus Christ Superstar, which has been revived at the theatre twice and recently enjoyed a run at the Barbican, director Sheader will work once again with Drew McOnie on Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. With a score including "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "If I Loved You", the musical will conclude the season from 31^st July to 19^th September.

There will also be a new 50-minute daytime show at the theatre titled Dragons and Mythical Beasts which will run over the summer. Written by Derek Bond and directed by Bond and Laura Cubitt, the interactive show enters the mythical world and is brought to the theatre by the same team who created Dinosaur World Live.

Currently, Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita is running at the theatre and will close on 21^st September, while Jesus Christ Superstar is in rehearsals preparing for a North American tour.