The Stage

Zorro flamenco musical set to transfer to West End

Published Tuesday 5 February 2008 at 12:55 by Lalayn Baluch

A new musical based on the story of masked bandit Zorro and set to an original score by Latin music band the Gipsy Kings is to embark on a six-week UK tour on March 4 before transferring to the West End.

Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the creative force behind productions such as We Will Rock You and a revival of The King and I, the musical is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Isabel Allende, also the show’s producer.

British performer Matt Rawle will star in the title role alongside former Tony Award nominee Adam Cooper and Aimie Atkinson, winner of the BBC’s Voice of Musical Theatre 2006.

The 30-strong cast will be joined on stage by leading flamenco dancers choreographed by internationally renowned flamenco star Rafael Amargo, and will perform to a score by Grammy Award-winning band the Gipsy Kings, including hit songs Bamboleo, Baila Me and Djobi Djoba.

Zorro is set to preview at Eastbourne Congress Theatre for four nights before its premiere at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking. It will later move to the West End, with the location and dates still to be confirmed.

Originally created in 1919 by Johnston McCulley, Zorro is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a fictional wealthy caballero and master swordsman who defends the people of Spanish California against injustices. Allende’s 2005 novel reveals how De la Vega became the masked bandit.