Tick, Tick…Boom!

Following the highly acclaimed Paines Plough Season the Menier Chocolate Factory is delighted to announce the UK premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical of a success-starved artist, fast (and frustratedly) approaching his 30th birthday.

It’s the week of Jonathan’s 30th Birthday. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city – Tick…  His best friend has bought a BMW and is moving uptown – Tick… and Jon’s waiting tables, trying to write the great American musical, and feeling the pressure to choose between holding onto dreams or selling out for money – Boom!

Jonathan Larson, who tragically died of an aortic aneurysm shortly before the opening of his huge smash hit Rent, first conceived of Tick, Tick…Boom! in 1990 as a one man musical monologue about a young composer on the brink of turning 30. David Auburn (who also wrote Proof) has taken Larson’s multi-character musical monologue and turned it into a show for 3 actors portraying numerous characters.

This London production stars Neil Patrick Harris as Jonathan. He has starred in a string of Broadway hits including Assassins, Proof and Cabaret. He has also taken part in numerous other stage productions including Romeo and Juliet, Sweeney Todd and the LA transfer of Rent (in which he played Mark). He is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the international hit TV show Doogie Howser MD.  His film credits include The Next Best Thing, Starship Troopers, The Proposition, Undercover Brother, and (most recently) Harold and Kumar Get The Munchies.

Scott Schwartz, who directs, is making his London debut. He has an impressive pedigree as a director of Broadway shows that include The Foreigner (which starred Matthew Broderick) and Golda’s Balcony. Off-Broadway he directed the original productions of Tick, Tick…Boom and Bat Boy. He is the son of Steven Schwartz who is considered Broadway royalty as the writer of the current massive hit Wicked as well as Godspell and Pippin.