Play On! Tickets

Play On Musical Tickets On Sale Now!

Shakespeare meets Jazz Age New York City in stylish musical Play On, and you are invited to join the fun! Featuring the music of Duke Ellington, this Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical is a tale of mistaken identity, romance and incredible music as one woman tries to make it big in 1940s Harlem. Get ready to tap your toes along to the beat during its London premiere at Lyric Hammersmith!

What is the Play On musical about?

What does a woman have to do to make it in a man’s world? Vy is a talented singer who wants to hit the big time in the 1940s Harlem scene. When her uncle Jester tells her she’ll never be taken seriously, she refuses to take it lying down. With gender-fluid cunning and disguise, she meets club owner The Duke and incredible nightclub singer Lady Liv, who sweep her up into a melodious world of mistaken identities and romance. But who will come out on top?

Based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Play On! is set in the jazz scene of New York City’s Cotton Club and promises a riotous night of entertainment with a toe-tapping soundtrack of Duke Ellington songs mixed with exhilarating street dance choreography.

Cast and Creative Team

Play On is a smart and snappy Shakespeare adaptation conceived by Sheldon Epps, with a book by Cheryl L. West. It opened in San Diego in 1996, followed by a Tony Award-nominated run on Broadway in 1997, and now hits London for the first time in a major touring production.

This exuberant musical is brought to the UK in a co-production by Talawa Theatre Company and is directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong. Talawa is the UK’s leading Black British theatre company and over the last 35 years has toured productions including King Lear, Guys and Dolls and All My Sons.

Don’t Miss Tickets For Play On at Lyric Hammersmith

If music be the food of love, Play On is a show you’ll definitely want to dine out on! Get ready to be wowed by a musical spectacular that fuses Shakespeare, Jazz and street dance in a whirlwind display of pure theatrical joy. You’ll be clapping your hands and humming the timeless tunes all the way home.