Most of us have spent this year thinking about next year, longing for a sense of fun and freedom again.
Well, now the wait over, as the mother of all musicals is descending onto the London stage.
Get Up, Stand Up! promises to be an explosive celebration of Bob Marley’s life, telling the tale of the Jamaican superstar and his stratospheric rise to fame.
So, get ready to sing your heart out to all the classics including No Woman No Cry, Waiting in Vain, I Shot the Sheriff, Could You Be Loved, Redemption Song and so much more.
Calling on an army of the finest actors and reggae musicians, this triumphant tale of passion and political unrest will relive the drama from Marley’s native Trenchtown to the West End.
Speaking about the production, director Clint Dyer told Time Out just how excited he is for doors to open at the Lyric Theatre in Piccadilly Circus’ Shaftesbury Avenue next May.
Clint said: “We’ve been trying to get it off the ground for a long time. I suppose because Marley’s music is so precious there’s a desire to get it right. It’s such a prize piece of material that it’s been tricky to feel wholeheartedly sure about the timing. It’s very precious.
“There’s so much to talk about: the deep political philosophy behind his music and the way he lived his life. We’re trying to use the music to harness his ideas and beliefs, not just the story.”
Chatting about man of the moment Arinzé Kene, who has been cast as Marley, Clint said he believes the actor is the perfect choice due to his deep connection both culturally and musically.
Clint continued: “Over the years he’s proven it in what he writes about, his understanding of black culture, urban culture, and you could just go straight to the fact he sings like a bird.”
Having struggled this year with the closure of his show Death of England: Delroy at the National Theatre during the coronavirus pandemic, Clint says his new production is a personal triumph.
He concluded: “‘It’s been a nightmare, an absolute nightmare… We’ll all have a few scars left, it was a very trying time, but yeah we seem to have made something that people like.
“I think I’ve been handed the most incredible opportunity and I kind of want to blow the doors off, really. To have some full-on reggae with humongous bass I find absolutely thrilling.
“Believe me, I’ve got some moves that I know will be a first for the West End.”
We’ll see you down the front row!
To grab your tickets, click here: Get Up, Stand Up!
