Thérèse Raquin, Park Theatre

The Park Theatre is transported to the murky depths of 19th century Paris as the new musical version of 'Thérèse Raquin' opens, following the acclaimed world premiere at The Finborough Theatre earlier this year.

The Story...

Adapted from the novel by Émile Zola, the show follows the beautiful and tragic Thérèse. Trapped in a loveless marriage to the sickly Camille,  Thérèse embarks upon an illicit affair with the enthralling Laurent with overwhelming consequences. In 1873, Zola translated his novel into a play, so Thérèse Raquin has a strong history as a performative text. 

We are often a little dubious of novels-turned-musicals (for every Les Misérables there is a Jane Eyre The Musical), but the story and characters of Thérèse Raquin lend themselves ideally to the musical format, as the sellout success of the show's premiere attests. In his preface to the novel, Zola states that his aim was to 'study temperaments and not characters' and music has the potential to greatly enhance this mode of storytelling. Thérèse Raquin, though one of the classic examples of theatrical naturalism, is also a tale of emotional extremes and, in the words of the American musical theatre legend Bob Fosse: 'The time to sing is when your emotional level is too high to just speak anymore.'

The Production...

The cast is yet to be announced but the creative team is promising. Director and adapter of both book and lyrics is Nona Shepphard, who started her career as an actress before turning her hand to writing and directing. She now has 40 commissioned plays and 150-plus productions to her name. Composer Craig Adams he was Cameron Mackintosh's resident Composer at the Finborough and is experienced in the world of musicals (he has worked on shows and albums for big names such as First Lady of the West End Kerry Ellis. Here is a pair with formidable experience and capacity for innovation.