All New A Tale of Two Cities Musical Plans London Run

Former X Factor contestant Jonathan Ansell will star as Charles Darnay in an all new musical version of the classic Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities. The musical, directed by Paul Nicholas, will be staged at the Charing Cross Theatre in London from April 5 through May 12, in honor of the bicentenary of Charles Dickens. Full casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

The musical will feature music by David Pomeranz (Little Tramp), book and lyrics by Steven David Horwich, additional book by David Soames and musical arrangements by John Cameron. Based on the beloved Dickens story, A Tale of Two Cities depicts one man’s (Ansell) ultimate sacrifice for love, set against the backdrop of the French revolution and the comparative calm of 18th Century London society.

A different musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities opened at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre on September 18, 2008. The production, directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, lasted 60 performances.

Ansell is best known as a member of The X Factor group G4. After the group parted ways, Ansell became a successful solo artist, touring across the U.S. with Marvin Hamlisch. His notable stage performances include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Birthday Concert in Hyde Park and Lyrics by Don Black at the Palladium.