Katrina Rees
After a successful touring production in Plymouth and Dublin in 2016/2017, it has finally been confirmed that Big the Musical will make its West End debut this Autumn.
The production will open at the Dominion Theatre on September 6 and will run for nine weeks. The Wanted star and Strictly Come Dancing winner Jay McGuiness will be reprising the role of Josh Baskin, however, the rest of the casting has yet to be announced.
Big the Musical is based on the 1988 film starring Tom Hanks. It follows 12-year-old Josh Baskin who simply wants to be ‘big’. After making a wish on a Zoltar machine during a local carnival, his wish is granted and he wakes up trapped in an adult’s body. However, is being ‘big’ all it’s cracked up to be?
The musical premiered at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre in 1996 and received five Tony Awards nominations. Twenty years later, it made its European premiere in Plymouth in November 2016 before moving on to Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
Jay, who is currently lighting up the West End in Rip It Up the 60’s at the Garrick Theatre, proved to be the perfect Josh Baskin, flawlessly capturing the childlike essence of the character. You can check out our review of the Plymouth production here.
In preparation for the musical, you can listen to the original UK cast recording of the soundtrack below, which includes songs such as ‘This Isn’t Me’, ‘Cross The Line’, ‘Coffee Black’, and ‘It’s Time’.
Tickets for Big the Musical are available now from the Dominion Theatre website. All tickets include a £1 donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK.
Big the Musical will run from September 6 – November 2.
