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A Broadway Adventure… The New Vic’s adventure with Around The World in 80 Days began in 2013 when it took centre-stage for the first time. Since then, we’ve literally taken our own trip around the world… The response we had in 2013 was a rather brilliant surprise. Artistic Director Theresa Heskins’ take on Jules Verne’s classic novel was an instant hit with local audiences, with families making repeated trips to see the show and aspiring Passepartouts recreating their favourite scenes in the foyer. Calls from audience members to bring the production back became a daily occurrence and our hardworking and ever-talented cast and creative team enjoyed standing ovation after standing ovation. The decision to revive the production soon followed, with the cast and creative team reuniting on home turf the following year before transferring to the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The first co-production between the two theatres in-the-round was equally triumphant, with the Exchange reporting daily queues for tickets and their best social media response for a show ever. But the story, and the production’s impact, didn’t end there. Word of the much-loved
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production had spread beyond the realms of Staffordshire and talks with producers Kenny Wax Family Entertainment and Simon Friend saw it return again, in 2017, before embarking on a major six month UK wide tour, including a six week London run. The tour saw our creative team completely redesign the show– turning it from an in-theround production, to an ‘end-on’ play. The cast rehearsed the production at the New Vic, and once it opened to home audiences they re-rehearsed the play in its ‘end-on’ format during the day, before performing to Staffordshire audiences in-the-round in the evening – no rest for the wicked! Almost 60,000 people saw Around The World In 80 Days on its national tour in 2017, and off the back of its success across the country, America beckoned! Our first venture stateside for our first international tour took in New York’s Broadway theatre district before hotfooting it down the coast to Florida.
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