A stunning Broadway musical is having an intimate staging at Department, Ryde.
Horse Box Theatre, who have recently been producing work in Department, a new arts and cultural space in the heart of Ryde, have had a run of sell-out shows including Frankenstein: The Creation of a Monster; One Man, Two Guvnors; and Ryde Boy (which returns this August).
A Manhattan love story
Their latest production is a musical by Jason Robert Brown which will see the former department store on Cross Street transformed into a Manhattan bar as the cast of two New Yorkers tell their emotive story as they fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
The musical, which was recently reprised in the West End, is famous for its unconventional structure. We see the story in reverse from Cathy’s point of view, starting at the end of their tumultuous relationship. Meanwhile, Jamie’s story is told chronologically from when the couple first met. The pair only cross paths once, at their wedding, which falls in the middle of the show.
Top musical theatre actors
Ashleigh Mackness stars as Cathy in this new production. Mackness is one of the top musical theatre actors on the Island with a number of professional credits to her name. She is currently performing in Beyond the West End at Shanklin Theatre and played Cait in Horse Box Theatre’s production of Ryde Boy.
Starring opposite Mackness is Josh Rettie as Jamie. Josh spent five years performing on Cruise Ships and toured in the 60s inspired show, Twist and Shout. Josh currently performs as part of the show team at Warner Hotels on the Island.
A two-hander musical
Staged in the traverse with the audience on two sides of the long catwalk stage, this two-hander musical is an intimate exploration of the ups and downs of their relationship.
This stunning new production is directed by the Artistic Director of Horse Box Theatre, Joe Plumb.
Plumb: “It’s an absolute delight directing them both”
Plumb directed Oliver! At the Apollo Theatre in September and said,
“I’ve gone from one of the largest casts to one of the smallest! But what a cast! Ashleigh and Josh are phenomenal performers who bring so much depth to these fantastic characters.
“It is an absolute delight directing them both.
“The audience are in for a real treat with this show- it is going to be something very special.”
Musical Directors
Tony Careless and Rosie Hayward lead the live band in playing Jason Robert Brown’s sensational score.
It’s the first time that Careless and Hayward have worked as Musical Directors together since their highly successful production of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ventnor Theatre Group before the pandemic.
Where and when
Performances take place on Friday 23rd June, Saturday 24th June, Friday 30th June and Saturday 1st July at 8pm.
Tickets are on sale now on the Horse Box Theatre Website.
Our thanks to Horse Box Theatre Company for sponsoring for this feature. They and other businesses and organisations taking paid promotion enables you to continue reading OnTheWight for free.
