TONY! [THE TONY BLAIR ROCK OPERA] BY HARRY HILL & STEVE BROWN NEW DATES ADDED TO UK TOUR INCLUDING EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE FOLLOWING LIMITED SEASON AT THE LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE, LONDON
‘Look anyone will tell you, I’m a pretty straight sort of guy.’ Tony Blair
A reckless reappraisal of the life of former Ugly Rumours front man and Britain’s first pop Prime Minister Tony Blair.
New dates have been added to the UK Tour of Harry Hill and Steve Brown’s hilarious musical, TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera], including four weeks at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, following a limited season in London’s West End at the Leicester Square Theatre from 15 April to 21 May. The musical will tour the UK from 25 May, including Tony Blair’s previous constituency of Sedgefield, with new dates added at Birmingham Rep (7 – 10 June), the Pleasance at EICC (Venue 150) in Edinburgh (2 – 27 August) and The Lowry in Salford (2 – 7 October, the same week the Conservative Party Conference is in Manchester), with further dates to be added.
The musical tells the story of how one man went from peace-loving, long-haired hippy and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire in just a couple of decades. Throw in a stellar cast of larger-than-life characters – Cherie Blair, Princess Diana, John Prescott, Peter Mandelson, Alastair Campbell, Osama bin Laden, George W Bush, Saddam Hussein and Gordon Brown – it’s Yes, Minister meets The Rocky Horror Show and a musical like no other.
Please note: Neither Tony Blair, the Tony Blair Institute, nor any other person featured in this production have endorsed the production or its marketing materials and are in no way affiliated with the production.
Harry Hill and Steve Brown said, “After the great response from audiences on its launch last summer [at Park Theatre], we’re thrilled that TONY! is going on the road in 2023. It’s a show for Tony Lovers and Haters everywhere – and everyone in between – don’t expect a history lesson – in our world Tony’s born singing and dancing, Saddam Hussein is played as Groucho Marx and Gordon Brown occasionally turns into the Incredible Hulk – let’s just say all the facts are there… but not necessarily as they occurred! Tony hasn’t yet replied to our invite to see the show, but we do hope he’ll pop along to his old stomping ground of Sedgefield to give his verdict when we open there at the Parish Hall. Tony? If you’re reading this we’ve put a couple of tickets in your name on the door.”
TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is directed by Peter Rowe, with set and costume design by Libby Watson, lighting design by Mark Dymock, sound design by Richard Brooker and choreography by Francesca Jaynes. The Park Theatre production of TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is produced in the West End and on tour by Nicholson Green Productions.
For more information, visit www.tonyblairrockopera.co.uk
Twitter and Instagram: @tonyrockopera
LISTINGS INFORMATION
15 April – 21 May 2023
Leicester Square Theatre
6 Leicester Place
London WC2H 7BX
Performances vary, so please check the website
Box Office: 020 7734 2222
Website: leicestersquaretheatre.com
Tickets: from £26.50
Running Time at Leicester Square Theatre: 2 hours (inc. interval)
Suitable for 14+
TOUR SCHEDULE
25 May – 3 June Guildford Yvonne Arnaud 01483 44 00 00 www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
7 – 10 June Birmingham Rep 0121 236 4455 www.birmingham-rep.co.uk on sale soon
14 – 17 June Cardiff New Theatre 0343 310 0041 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
21 – 24 June Richmond Theatre www.atgtickets.com/Richmond
27 June – 1 July Brighton Theatre Royal www.atgtickets.com/Brighton
3 – 8 July Bath Theatre Royal 01225 448844 Theatreroyal.org.uk
11 – 15 July Chester Storyhouse 01244 409113 storyhouse.com
18 – 22 July Malvern Festival Theatre 01684 892277 www.malvern-theatres.co.uk
24 – 26 July Darlington Hippodrome 01325 405405 www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
27 – 29 July Sedgefield Parish Hall on sale 14 February www.eventbrite.com/e/tony-the-tony-blair-rock-opera-tickets-537360799617
2 – 27 August Edinburgh Pleasance at EICC (Venue 150) 020 7609 1800/0131 556 6550 www.pleasance.co.uk on sale 14 February
2 – 7 October Salford The Lowry 0161 876 2015 www.thelowry.com