Starlight Express extends run

Starlight Express has extended its run in London.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, which first debuted 40 years ago, is about a child’s train set that comes to life and competes to become the fastest engine in the world. Audience members in Wembley Park can sit either around and inside the “racing track”, or behind the performance space on a more conventional rake.

The revival is now booking to 26 October 2025.

Producer Michael Harrison said: “Andrew and I and everyone associated with Starlight are absolutely thrilled with the way the public have embraced our new production and the standing ovations and rapturous applause the cast receive every night. It’s wonderful to already be announcing our fourth extension and we look forward to welcoming many more audiences into the Starlight auditorium.”

Leading the show are Jeevan Braich as Rusty, Kayna Montecillo as Pearl, Jade Marvin as Momma McCoy, Al Knott as Greaseball, Eve Humphrey as Dinah and Tom Pigram as Electra.

Alongside them are Jamie Addison, Jessie Angell, Ollie Augustin, Charles Butcher, Renz Cardenas, Catherine Cornwall, Jamie Cruttenden, Kelly Downing, Isaac Edwards, Asher Forth, Sam Gallacher, Lucy Glover, Pablo Gómez Jones, Scott Hayward, Lilianna Hendy, Dante Hutchinson, Lewis Kidd, Hannah Kiss, Oscar Kong, Emily Martinez, Deearna Mclean, Marianthe Panas, David Peter-Brown, Harrison Peterkin, RED, Bethany Rose-Lythgoe, Charlie Russell, Gary Sheridan, Jessica Vaux, Jaydon Vijn, Lara Vina Uzcatia, and Ashlyn Weekes.

The young actors are Shaniyah Abrahams, Cristian Buttaci, Barnaby Halliwell, and Mimi Soetan.

A cast album will also be released on 8 November 2024, with two tracks available to listen to digitally now.

Starlight Express premiered at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984, where it played until 2002. It has also been running in Bochum, Germany for over 30 years, and has been seen by more than 20 million people. It has music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and famously sees the cast perform on rollerskates. The original choreography was by Arlene Phillips, who returns as creative dramaturg alongside choreographer Ashley Nottingham.

Luke Sheppard directs the new production, while the creative team features set designer Tim Hatley, costume designer Gabriella Slade, lighting designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Gareth Owen, video designer Andrzej Goulding, new orchestrations by Matthew Brind and Lloyd Webber, musical supervision by Matthew Brind and David Wilson, musical direction by Laura Bangay and casting by Pearson Casting.

Tickets through to October 2025 are on sale below.