The Broadway hit finally comes to London

A London premiere direct from New York, Cy Coleman's acclaimed musical about the seedy underbelly of the city's 42nd street comes to the Southwark Playhouse, in time for its 20th anniversary in March 2017. Starring Sharon D.Clarke who has appeared in Ghost: The Musical and We Will Rock You as Killer Queen, she takes on the role of an ageing prostitute who helps a younger associate escape her abusive lover and drug addiction. The Life also stars Cornell S. John as pimp Memphis, and helmed by Michael Blakemore, the original Broadway director!

Centred on a young woman from Savannah and her drug-addled Vietnam veteran boyfriend who try to make it in the tough environs of New York City, we watch their struggles to survive and how they interact with the people around them. Forced into prostitution when Fleetwood, her addict lover spends all their money, Queen is taken under the wing of an older hooker Sonja (Clarke), and plans her escape from both the city and her depressing life. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Memphis,a ruthless pimp who controls all the girls working 42nd Street, Jojo the local hustler and a newcomer from Minnesota who is naively determined to make her fortune in "The Life".