Tickets on sale for Hex – a new musical based on Sleeping Beauty at the National Theatre, developed through the Genesis Music Theatre Programme
30 September 2021
“Hex is our big-hearted, mythic new musical that goes beyond the waking kiss in Sleeping Beauty.”
This Christmas, the National Theatre will premiere Hex, a new musical based on the Sleeping Beauty folk tale, directed by Artistic Director Rufus Norris.
Penned by Tanya Ronder with music by Jim Fortune and lyrics by Rufus Norris, the piece tells the classic tale from the perspective of Sleeping Beauty’s “bad fairy”. Hex will run in the Olivier from 4 December until 22 January 2022.
Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Carroll, Kat Ronney and Michael Elcock will lead the company, alongside Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Madeline Charlemagne, Tamsin Dowsett, Eleanor Kane and Daisy Maywood. The piece has orchestrations by Simon Hale, music supervision by Marc Tritschler, music direction by Tarek Merchant, lighting design by Paul Anderson, choreography by Jade Hackett with consultant choreography by Bill Deamer and sound design by Simon Baker.
Jim Fortune started developing Hex at the Genesis Music Theatre Programme.
Since 2017, the Genesis Foundation has supported artists at the National Theatre as they develop bold, accessible new forms of British music theatre, tackling compelling stories and setting out to engage diverse audiences. The Genesis Music Theatre Programme was conceived by the National Theatre’s Director, Rufus Norris (the inaugural Genesis Director at the Young Vic), who leads it with Marc Tritschler, the NT’s Creative Director of Music, and Nina Steiger, the NT’s Head of Play Development.
Music has always played an important part in the work of Rufus Norris, artistic director of the National Theatre. He strongly believes that the future of music theatre rests in fostering successful, collaborative partnerships that can sustain over the long term, while providing time and space for private development of ideas.
There are three further musicals in development currently being workshoped through the Genesis Music Theatre Programme that the National Theatre hopes to stage over the coming seasons.
On our podcast, Rufus Norris and Nina Steiger had a lively discussion on the need for more UK music theatre and developing new work at the National Theatre. Listen to the episode
