Curtains, Wyndham's Theatre

Making its West End premiere at Wyndham's Theatre this December is the Broadway hit Curtains – a musical whodunnit. This lesser known work was one of the final collaborations from legendary composer-lyricist duo John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, creators of classic musicals such as Cabaret and Chicago. The show first premiered in New York in 2007 and was nominated for several Tony awards. David Hyde Pierce took home the prize for Best Actor in a Musical for the role of ‘Lt. Frank Cioffi’ – the role now played by Jason Manford in the UK.

Curtains affectionately satirises and pays tribute to the Golden Age of the Broadway musical. The story is set in 1959 and follows the investigation of Lt. Frank Cioffi, local detective and huge musical theatre fan. He must find the murderer of Jessica Cranshaw, a washed-up film star diva and leading lady in a failing musical. With the entire cast and crew as suspects, it is up to Frank to solve the case and save the show.

This comedy-musical murder-mystery juggles a handful of genre tropes and mischievously lampoons the world of showbusiness. But, beneath the tongue-in-cheek humour, the show is a celebration of classic Broadway, paying loving homage to the musicals of old. Expect two hours of catchy show tunes, big dance numbers, and all the Broadway razzle dazzle of a classic Kander and Ebb musical.

The production has been touring across the UK and has received good reviews, with special praise for Jason Manford’s performance. Although the comedian is better known for his stand-up and TV work, Manford has been breaking into musical theatre in recent years, appearing in Sweeney Todd, The Producers, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and has even recorded an album of show tunes. For a fun, energetic musical like Curtains, it certainly helps to have a comedian with a strong singing voice. Manford is joined on stage by a cast with plenty of experience in musicals on the West End and is in the safe hands of director Paul Foster, who has directed revivals of grand, old-school Broadway musicals such as Kiss Me Kate and Annie Get Your Gun.