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Play On! Tickets

Lyric Hammersmith

Closes 22nd February

Get your toes tapping as Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night becomes a spectacular Jazz Age musical, featuring the music of Duke Ellington.

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.

Performance dates:
17 Feb 2025 - 22 Feb 2025
Running time:
2 hours and 30 minutes including an interval.
Age recommendation:
Best for age 12+
Categories:

Play On! Reviews

4.1
37 Reviews
  • 5 Stars43%
  • 4 Stars30%
  • 3 Stars24%
  • 2 Stars0%
  • 1 Stars3%

User Reviews

Verified

Always more enjoyable when the cast are obviously having a lot of fun. The plot is Shakespeare (mostly), in a cotton club setting. The language is not - other than a few choice lines throw in for fun. The cast are tremendous - making for a wicked ni Read more

Performance date: 31 January 2025
Verified

Highly polished, imaginative and energised jazz version of Twelfth Night to the music of Duke Ellington. Surely the most talented ensemble cast in London at the moment. Exceptional singing, dancing and staging. Really impressive and hard to imagine a Read more

Performance date: 05 February 2025
Verified

Everybody having a lot of fun. Quality band, dancers, and singing all around. Lots of male vs female inter-play, and a lot of laughs. Don't miss.

Performance date: 04 February 2025
1/13
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