Following an Olivier-nominated engagement at The Other Palace, Amélie the Musical returns to London in 2021. Audrey Brisson reprises her acclaimed title role in the West End premiere of Amélie in London.
Amélie is based on the five-time Oscar nominated 2001 movie of the same name, starring Audrey Tautou. Throughout the musical, Amélie tries to make the world a better place. Improvising small acts of kindness wherever she goes, Amélie aims to bring a smile to every face she sees. Happiness doesn’t have to cost a thing in her mind. But when Amélie has a chance to fall in love, can she make herself feel good? To find her own peace of mind, Amélie must risk everything to say what’s in her heart.
The Amélie musical features a book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé, lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen. Michael Fentiman directs, also directing The Windsors: Endgame at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Songs in Amélie include “Times Are Hard for Dreamers.”
Amélie received its world premiere at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, in 2015. Frozen star Samantha Barks originated the role of Amélie. Amélie then made its Broadway premiere in 2017, where it ran for two months at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
The UK premiere of Amélie was in 2019 at the Watermill Theatre, starring Audrey Brisson and Danny Mac. Amélie then ran over the Christmas period in 2019, receiving three Olivier Award nominations including Best New Musical.
In an Amélie review at the Criterion Theatre, the musical is “at its high, very high indeed. There is a reassuring edge of darkness to the show, compounded by Dik Downey’s truly eerie puppets and Audrey Brisson’s excellent central performance, which resists dreaminess and instead beds down into a stubborn wiriness... it seeks out moments to relish."