''Wolfboy'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with music and lyrics by

Leon Parris Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

and book by Russell Labey, based on the play by

Brad Fraser Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator.Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof"Fraser, Brad" ''Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia'', June 2, 2019. He is one of the most widely pr ...

. Its story concerns two teenagers committed to an asylum: Bernie has tried to commit suicide and David believes he is a werewolf. The musical addresses psychiatric disorders, abuse, sexuality and loneliness. The original play was staged in Canada; a 1984 production is reported as

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...

' first stage role. The musical premiered at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

in August 2009, and had a 2010 off- West End staging at

Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Theatre is a new West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. It is set to open in spring 2021 following a major multi-million Pound sterling, pound restoration project aiming to reinstate ...

, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Productions

The musical was previewed between 1 and 4 July 2009, at

Tabard Theatre The Tabard Theatre is a small 96-seat theatre in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow. Close to Turnham Green Underground station, it is situated above the Tabard public house on Bath Road. The Tabard Theatre was licensed and opened for t ...

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Full ...

and had a run in 2009 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, featuring

Gregg Lowe Gregg Lowe is a British actor born in 1986. Lowe is from Gorleston-On-Sea, Norfolk, and was educated at Cliff Park High School. In 2015, Lowe collapsed at the finish line after running the Toronto Marathon, he was dead for 3 minutes before bei ...

as Bernie,

Paul Holowaty Paul Holowaty (born 7 March 1985) is an English actor. He was born in Bolton, and is probably most well known for his role as racist bully “Steven "Macki" Mackintosh” in popular soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. In 2010, he made his West End debut i ...

as DavidWolfboy program, Ambassador Theatre Group and

Lee Latchford-Evans Lee Latchford-Evans (born 28 January 1975) is an English singer, dancer, stage actor and one of the five singers of the British pop group Steps. Early life From Ellesmere Port, Evans was born as Lee Latchford Evans, with his middle name Latc ...

from Steps. In 2010 it was presented at

in London, featuring

as Bernie, Paul Holowaty as David,

Daniel Boys Daniel Boys (born 26 March 1979) is an English musical theatre actor, who was a contestant on the BBC talent series '' Any Dream Will Do'' in 2007 before becoming known as a stage actor in various musicals including '' Avenue Q'', ''Spamalot'' an ...

as Christian,

Emma Rigby Emma Catherine Rigby (born 26 September 1989) is an English actress. After rising to prominence for her role as Hannah Ashworth in ''Hollyoaks'', she later played Gemma Roscoe in the BBC One drama series ''Prisoners' Wives'' and as the Red Quee ...

as Nurse Cherry and Annabel Howitt as Annie. This staging of ''Wolfboy'' was produced from 6 to 31 July 2010, directed by

Russell Labey Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory * Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...

, with Iain Vince Gatt as musical director.

Synopsis

Hockey team captain and golden boy Bernie wakes up at an asylum, after trying to commit suicide. Around him, big brother Christian tries to understand what drove him to this unexpected action, nurse Cherry goes about her job and next door neighbour David is tied down under a diagnosis of lycanthropy. The ensuing days see both boys exchanging stories and growing closer, with pasts of abuse, hustling and neglect emerging.

Musical numbers

''Note: The song titles are not listed in the programme and the CD release contains only 4 tracks'' * 1. "The Visit" * 2. "One Wall Away from Your Dreams" * 3. "1 Seven, 2 Jacks & an Ace" * 4. "Come Home"

Casting

London cast

* Bernie:

* David:

* Christian:

* Cherry:

* Annie: Annabel Howitt

References

{{Reflist

External links

HomepageThe Stage review
2009 musicals British musicals