Everything you need to know about 'The Producers'

Mel Brooks's much-loved musical comedy returns to the West End in a dazzling production by Patrick Marber.

Summary

• The Producers is playing at the Garrick Theatre in the West End
• Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin lead the cast as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom
• The Producers is written by Mel Brooks and directed in the West End by Patrick Marber
• The Producers won 12 Tony Awards and three Olivier Awards

Bialystock and Bloom are back! Patrick Marber’s acclaimed new production of Mel Brooks’s multi-award-winning musical The Producers transfers to the West End this autumn following a successful run at the Menier Chocolate Factory last Christmas. A politically incorrect riot, the show makes fun of everyone and everything, and does so in tremendous style with one absurdly catchy song after another.

In a five-star review at the Garrick Theatre, LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer said: "If you want non-stop giggles, gloriously provocative jokes and an easy escape from everyday misery, there’s no better place to be right now than the Garrick. This is an absolute hoot." Read on to learn more about this outrageously hilarious musical.

Book The Producers tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is The Producers about?

The Producers is a musical comedy about Max Bialystock, a Broadway producer whose power is waning. He teams up with accountant Leo Bloom and they figure out that, by ripping off investors, the best way to make a profit would be to put on a colossal flop. They search for the most offensive show they can find, and the result is the fawning hagiography Springtime for Hitler. The anti-heroes find themselves in plenty of trouble – not least when their sure-fire flop becomes a hit – but it is a musical comedy, so you can expect things to work out happily following lots of farcical goings-on.

Who wrote The Producers?

The Producers is based on the 1967 film that was written and directed by Mel Brooks, who won an Oscar for the screenplay. For the musical, Brooks provided the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book. His other films include Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and he is an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner. Brooks turned 99 in June – mazel tov!

Thomas Meehan, who co-wrote the book with Brooks, is perhaps best-known as the book writer for Annie, and he teamed up with Brooks again for the musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein. He died in 2017.

Who are the characters in The Producers?

The Producers features the following cast of larger-than-life characters:

Max Bialystock: a bombastic theatre producer who has fallen on hard times.
Leopold “Leo” Bloom: a shy accountant with secret theatrical yearnings.
Ulla: an aspiring actress from Sweden and Leo’s love interest.
Roger de Bris: a flamboyant theatre director.
Carmen Ghia: Roger’s “common law assistant”.
Franz Liebkind: the author of Springtime for Hitler and an unrepentant Nazi.

The ensemble’s many roles include chorus girls, stormtroopers, accountants, and sex-mad elderly ladies – expect plenty of costume changes!

What songs are in The Producers?

The Producers features the following songs, all of which are ridiculously earwormish:

Act I

Overture – Orchestra
"Opening Night" – Usherettes and Company
"The King of Broadway" – Max and Company
"We Can Do It" – Max and Leo
"I Wanna Be a Producer" – Leo, Showgirls and Accountants
"We Can Do It" (reprise) – Leo and Max
"In Old Bavaria" – Franz
"Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" – Franz, Leo and Max
"Keep It Gay" – Roger, Carmen, Max, Leo, Brian, Kevin, Scott, Shirley
"When You Got It, Flaunt It" – Ulla
"Along Came Bialy" – Max and Company
"Act I Finale" – Max, Leo, Ulla, Franz, Roger, Carmen, Brian, Kevin, Scott, Shirley, and Company

Act II

"That Face" – Leo, Ulla and Max
"Haben Sie Gehört Das Deutsche Band?" – Franz and Max
"Opening Night" (reprise) – Usherettes
"You Never Say 'Good Luck' on Opening Night" – Roger, Carmen, Franz, Leo and Max
"Springtime for Hitler" – Lead Tenor Stormtrooper, Ulla, Roger and Company
"Where Did We Go Right?" – Leo and Max
"Betrayed" – Max
"'Til Him" – Leo, Max and Little Old Ladies
"Prisoners of Love" – Convicts
"Prisoners of Love" (reprise) – Roger, Ulla and Company
"Leo and Max" – Max and Leo
"Goodbye!" – Company

You can read our full guide to the songs here.

When was The Producers first performed?

Following tryouts in Chicago, The Producers opened on Broadway in April 2001, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman and starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The show played for 2,502 performances. The production opened in London in November 2004, where it played for 920 performances, and went on to tour extensively. You can read more about the show’s production history here. This new production by Patrick Marber was first staged at the Menier Chocolate Factory last Christmas.

What awards has The Producers won?

The original Broadway production of The Producers won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical. In the West End, it won three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.

Where is The Producers playing?

The Producers is playing at the Garrick Theatre on Charing Cross Road, a fairly intimate West End venue that has a seating capacity of 732.

When is The Producers playing?

The Producers plays from Monday to Saturday. Evening performances take place at 7pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and at 7:30pm from Wednesdays to Saturdays. There are matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm.

How long is The Producers?

The running time for The Producers is 2 hours 30 minutes.

Who is in the cast of The Producers?

The cast is led by Andy Nyman as Max (Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof) and Marc Antolin (I Wish You Well, Little Shop of Horrors) as Leo, and Joanna Woodward (The Time Traveller’s Wife) as Ulla. They are joined by Trevor Ashley (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) as Roger, Raj Ghatak (The Life of Pi) as Carmen, and Harry Morrison (Come from Away) as Franz. The principals all reprise their roles from the Menier Chocolate Factory production.

The ensemble comprises Alex Lodge (Storm Trooper), Kelsie-Rae Marshall (Hold-Me-Touch-Me), Megan Armstrong, Olly Christopher, Gabrielle Cocca (Dance Captain), Nolan Edwards, Michael Franks, Matt Gillett (Resident Director), Esme Kennedy, Sinead Kenny, Josh Kiernan (Assistant Dance Captain), Kate Parr, Emma Robotham-Hunt, Pierce Rogan, Hollie Jane Stephens, Jermaine Woods, and Ryan Pidgen.

Who is in the creative team of The Producers?

The Producers is directed by Patrick Marber. As a playwright, Marber’s works include Dealer’s Choice, Closer, and After Miss Julie. His recent directing credits include Leopoldstadt (for which he won a Tony), What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, and Glengarry Glen Ross. The Producers marks the first time that he has directed a musical.

The show features choreography by Lorin Latarro (Once Upon a Mattress, Into the Woods), set design by Scott Pask (Shucked), costume design by Paul Farnsworth (Pacific Overtures), lighting design by Tim Lutkin (Back to the Future), and sound design by Paul Groothuis (Hello, Dolly!).

What are some fun facts about The Producers?

• The 1967 film was controversial as many people felt it made light of Hitler and Nazism. Mel Brooks, who is Jewish, responded to every angry letter he received, explaining “You can’t get on a soap box with Hitler. You’ve got to ridicule him”.
• The story of fraudulent producers is based on real-life experiences – as a teenager, Brooks worked for a producer who was sleeping with his investors, many of whom were elderly women who had fallen prey to his flattery. Later, he encountered a pair of producers who became rich through their flops. He melded the two together for the show.
• The film coined the term “creative accounting”, which is also known as “Hollywood accounting”.
• Brooks originally approached Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly!, Mame) about musicalising his film, but Herman encouraged Brooks to do the honours himself, having already written “Springtime for Hitler” for the film.
• The show features numerous allusions to other musicals, including West Side Story, Hello, Dolly!, Beauty and the Beast, Singin’ in the Rain, and Follies, as well as European operetta. How many can you recognise?

Book The Producers tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin in The Producers. (Courtesy of production)