Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs comes to the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2017

UK premiere set for the Jermyn Street Theatre

The UK Premiere of Stephen Sondheim's musical The Frogs will run at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 14 March to 8 April 2017, with an official opening on 16 March 2017.

Based on Aristophanes' 405 comedy, the musical has been freely adapted by Burt Shevelove and "even more freely adapted" by Nathan Lane, featuring music and lyrics by Sondheim. This new production is directed by Grace Wessels and features design by Gregor Donnelly and musical direction by Tim Sutton.

The musical was originally performed in Yale University's gymnasium's swimming pool in 1974 in a production that featured Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver in its ensemble. The show was reworked for Broadway in 2004 with seven new Sondheim songs, and starred Nathan Lane.

"The Frogs playfully explores the great challenges of human existence: confronting our fears, understanding life and death, and challenging the distractions that can prevent us from achieving our goals. This boisterously hilarious yet poignant musical follows Dionysos, Greek god of wine and drama, and his slave Xanthias on a journey to Hades to collect renowned critic and playwright George Bernard Shaw so that he may enlighten the easily misled and coerced masses of Earth. Along this journey, Dionysos and Xanthias meet Herakles, Charon, Pluto, and of course, the chorus of frogs. Then, Shakespeare shows up and starts declaiming his greatest hits; and before long he engages in a battle of words with Mr. Shaw. Who will win the honor of becoming reincarnated: The Bard or Bernard?"

Casting for this London production is yet to be announced.