Chess Will Receive First Revival in London's West End

Chess, the cult-favorite musical featuring music by ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, lyrics by Tim Rice and a book by Richard Nelson, will receive a five-week London revival courtesy of English National Opera in 2018. Laurence Connor (School of Rock) will direct and Stephen Mear (Sunset Boulevard) will choreograph the West End production set to play the London Coliseum beginning on April 26 with an opening slated for May 1. The limited engagement will conclude on June 2. This production will mark the first West End revival since the musical's original 1986 debut mounting.

Chess is set against the background of the Cold War in the late 1970s/early 1980s, during which superpowers attempt to manipulate an international chess championship for political ends. Two of the world’s greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian, are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments as their battle for the world title gets underway. Simultaneously their lives are thrown into further confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable woman who becomes the center of their emotional triangle.

Chess first played London in 1986, boasting a cast led by Elaine Paige, Murray Head and Tommy Korberg. The production ran for three years at the Prince Edward Theatre. The 1988 Broadway production, starring Judy Kuhn, Philip Casnoff and David Carroll, ran for just two months at the Imperial Theatre. A notable Chess concert, starring Idina Menzel, Josh Groban and Adam Pascal, played London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2008. Casting for the West End revival of Chess will be announced at a later date.