The Menier Chocolate Factory’s sell out production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music which transferred to the Garrick Theatre in March, today announces a further 48 performances for its West End run.   Trevor Nunn’s critically acclaimed production will now have its final performance on 05 September 2009.

David Babani said:  “It is with great excitement that we are able to announce further London performances of Trevor Nunn’s Chocolate Factory production of A Little Night Music.   Since its original opening in December last year, the production has played to packed houses both at the Chocolate Factory and the Garrick Theatre, and discussions are currently underway for a Broadway production to open later this year.”

Led by a cast including Hannah Waddingham as Desirée, Maureen Lipman as Madame Armfeldt, Alexander Hanson as Fredrik Egerman, Kelly Price as Countess Charlotte Malcolm and Jessie Buckley as Anne Egerman, A Little Night Music has musical supervision by Caroline Humphris, set and costume design by David Farley, choreography by Lynne Page, orchestrations by Jason Carr, with lighting by Hartley T A Kemp and sound by Gareth Owen.
 
Based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music is set in 19th century Sweden, where affairs of the heart are uppermost in everyone's thoughts. Hailed as a witty and stylish celebration of romance, the story centres on the elegant actress Desirée Armfeldt and the spider’s web of sensuality, intrigue and passion that surrounds her.

The rest of the cast are John Addison (Mr Erlanson), Laura Armstrong (Mrs Anderssen), Fiona Dunn (Mrs Nordstrom), Lynden Edwards (Mr Lindquist), Kaisa Hammarlund (Petra), Phil Pritchard (Frid), Alistair Robins (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm), Nicola Sloane (Mrs Segstrom) and Gabriel Vick (Henrik Egerman).  Katie Buchholz, Holly Hallam and Grace Link alternate the role of Fredrika Armfeldt. 

Hannah Waddingham’s theatre credits include The Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot both in the West End and on Broadway as well as Lautrec at the Shaftesbury Theatre, The Beautiful Game at the Cambridge Theatre, Tonight’s The Night at the Victoria Palace Theatre, A Chorus of Disapproval for Theatr Clwyd, Bad Girls the Musical for West Yorkshire Playhouse, Smokey Joe’s Café on tour in the UK and The Likes of Us for the Sydmonton Festival.  Her television credits include My Hero, William and Mary, Coupling and Fooballers’ Wives.  Her film credits include How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, The Only Boy for Me and Note.

Maureen Lipman began her career in Laurence Olivier’s Company at the Old Vic.  Her many West End credits include Candida, See How They Run, Lost in Yonkers, The Sisters Rosensweig, Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Oklahoma!, Peggy For You and Glorious, as well as her one woman shows Re: Joyce and Live and Kicking.   She most recently played Charlotta in The Cherry Orchard for Chichester Festival Theatre.  Her extensive television work includes plays by Alan Bennett, Alan Ayckbourn, Alan Plater and Jack Rosenthal.  She has most recently been seen in ITV’s Ladies of Letters with Anne Reid – her first comedy series since Agony, Agony Again and All at No 20.  Her film credits include The Pianist and Educating Rita.   In 2006 Maureen Lipman directed her late husband’s autobiography, Jack Rosenthal’s Last Act, adapted by their daughter Amy Rosenthal, for BBC Radio 4.  Maureen Lipman was made a CBE in 2000.

A Little Night Music - featuring a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler - originally opened in 1973 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre with a cast that included Glynis Johns as Desirée, Len Cariou as Fredrik and Hermione Gingold as Madame Armfeldt.  The show, directed by Harold Prince, garnered six Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical.  The Sondheim score features one of the composer's best-known tunes, Send in the Clowns, as well as Every Day a Little Death, The Miller's Son and A Weekend in the Country.

Under the direction of Artistic Director David Babani, since it opened in 2004, the Menier Chocolate Factory has transferred six productions to the West End - Fully Committed, Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, Dealer’s Choice and, most recently, Maria Friedman Re-Arranged and La Cage aux Folles, which is currently playing at the Playhouse Theatre.

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