New season of musical theatre at the Charing Cross

A new season of musicals has been announced at the Charing Cross Theatre in Central London for 2016, produced by Steven M Levy, Sean Sweeney, Danielle Tarento and Vaughn Williams. Director Thom Southerland has also been appointed Artistic Director of the venue, and will lead the new season by directing three productions.

Southerland will begin the season by bringing his internationally acclaimed production of Maury Yeston and Peter Stone's 1997 musical Titanic back to London from 28 May to 6 August 2016, with an official opening on 6 June 2016. The production originally ran at the Southwark Playhouse in 2013 and later transferred to Toronto, Canada.

"In the final hour of 14 April 1912 the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and 'the unsinkable ship' slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. 1517 men, women and children lost their lives."

The production will feature musical staging by Cressida Carré, musical direction by Mark Aspinall, set and costume design by David Woodhead, lighting design by Howard Hudson and sound design by Andrew Johnson.

This will be followed by a new production of Radio Times which runs from 20 August to 1 October 2016, with an official opening on 26 August 2016.

"Chock-full of quick-fire gags, side-splitting routines and classic songs from one of our 'best of British' musical talents, Noel Gay." The production will be directed by Ben Woolf.

Southerland will then direct a new production of the Tony award-winning musical Ragtime which features music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Terrence McNally. Based on the novel by E.L Doctorow, the epic musical follows three distinct groups in turn of the century America.

The season will conclude with the UK premiere of Maury Yeston's off-Broadway musical Death Takes a Holiday which features music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan, which runs from 3 December 2016 to 21 January 2017.

"In Northern Italy, shortly after World War One, Death disguises himself as a handsome young prince to try to understand why life is so precious and death so feared. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with a newly engaged young woman, this mysterious stranger discovers that love may in fact be stronger than death."

Season tickets for all four musical productions are available.