National’s Dorfman Theatre to open with Fatboy Slim musical

The National Theatre’s newly refurbished and re-named Dorfman Theatre (formerly the Cottesloe) is to open after several months’ delay in September with the British premiere of off-Broadway show Here Lies Love.

Created by David Byrne – of music band Talking Heads – and DJ Fatboy Slim, the musical portrait of former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda, promises to transform the theatre into “an immersive theatrical event which combines heart-pounding beats with adrenaline-fuelled choreography and 360-degree staging”. The show will also see those audience members in the pit stand and dance with the actors.

Alex Timbers, recently nominated for a best director Tony award for Rocky, will direct the musical.

Additional music is by Tom Gandey and J Pardom with choreography by Annie-B Parson. Set design is by David Korins, costume design by Clint Ramos, lighting by Justin Townsend and sound by M. L. Dogg and Cody Spencer. Projection design is by Peter Nigrini, while musical supervision is by Kimberly Grigsby, music production is by Justin Levine and the music editor is Matt Stine.

The show premiered at the Public Theater in New York last year. It will run at the NT from September 30 to January 8, 2015, with press night on October 13.

Other previously announced Dorfman productions include new plays by Tom Stoppard (to be directed by outgoing National Theatre chief Nicholas Hytner), and Sam Holcroft in January and March next year respectively.