New musical In Dreams featuring songs of Roy Orbison to premiere at Leeds Playhouse

A new musical featuring the songs of Roy Orbison is to make its premiere at Leeds Playhouse in 2023.

Leading the venue’s new season, In Dreams will be written by David West Read and directed by Luke Sheppard who reunite after their success together on & Juliet.

The new musical is described as “a lyrical and comedic exploration about legacy and how we would like to be remembered”.

The premiere production will run 1 July – 5 August with writer David West Read saying: “It is a tremendous honour to be premiering our new musical In Dreams at Leeds Playhouse, which has developed a reputation for introducing innovative and inspirational work created by artists from around the world.

“When I was growing up in Canada, the iconic music of Roy Orbison was playing on repeat in my household, and it has been a lifelong ambition of mine to build a contemporary musical around his classic songs.

“To bring this show to the Leeds audience, in this theatre, in this moment, is quite literally a dream come true.”

Also a part of Leeds Playhouse’s new spring/summer 2023 season will be Kay Mellor’s A Passionate Woman (20 May – 10 June) which returns to the venue 30 years after it was first staged in her home city, directed this time by Sameena Hussain.

Also announced is a new production of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (18 March – 8 April) with director Amy Leach, William Shakespeare’s Henry V (9 – 25 February) directed by Holly Race Roughan and Iqbal Khan at the helm of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (11 – 27 May).

Artistic Director and CEO James Brining said: “We all tell stories. It’s part of what makes us human, how we describe the world, understand the landscape around us and how we would like it to be. This season, we are sharing stories that are simultaneously deeply humane and sweeping in scope. Each speaks to the moment – to who we are today and what our hopes are for tomorrow.”

For more information and tickets, visit leedsplayhouse.org.uk