A bittersweet story about youth, friendship and hope. All told backwards.
Oxford University students bring Stephen Sondheim’s rarely-performed musical masterpiece, Merrily We Roll Along, to Oxford Playhouse from Wednesday 29 January to Saturday 1 February.
Set in the glittering world of American showbiz, Merrily We Roll Along follows the journey of three extraordinary friends as they grow up and grow apart. Beginning in 1976, their friendship lies in tatters - Frank is a musical genius who has sold out, Charley is an idealist still clinging to his dreams and Mary is a brilliant novelist who has given up writing entirely. The show traces their friendship through the decades back to 1957: the time they were young and believed they could change the world.
Based on a 1934 play of the same name, Sondheim and book-writer George Furth transform Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s story through an extraordinary score and a sharply comic script. First premiering in 1981 on Broadway, it was largely disregarded by critics at the time until it was revived Off-Broadway in 1994 with a newly streamlined production. Since then the show has gone on to have great success in several incarnations, including its West End premier in 2000.
GOYA Theatre Company’s director Sam Woof McColl says “With a 20-strong cast, this production will combine visual spectacle with a bittersweet story about growing up. I am particularly excited to be working with cast of young people to create a vibrant new version of an often overlooked masterpiece.”
