City of Angels Tickets

City of Angels – An Olivier-winning crime musical

When the Donmar Warehouse's production of the 1989 musical City of Angels hit the stage, a little slice of history was made. A play with a great reputation, it has snagged the imagination of the theatre-going public and gathered a load of top class reviews from the critics as well as a fistful of desirable awards. If you fancy a laugh-a-minute romp of a play set in the golden age of old Hollywood, AKA Tinseltown, this one's for you!

What's the plot? There's a talented screenwriter with a movie to complete, and a private detective with a tricky case to crack, but there's a woman involved – a dame, as they said back then – and that means nothing is straightforward, and there's no such thing as black and white. No wonder audiences find themselves wondering what's real in Hollywood and what's fantasy. It can be tough to tell the difference.

The setting is Hollywood in the late 1940s, where two separate two stories unfold at the same time. One is a Hollywood comedy, the other a private eye drama. The real-life scenes are in colour, the movie scenes in black and white. Most of the cast play two roles, portraying both the real world and fictitional versions of their characters.

This is an 'ingenious, stupendous' revival of City of Angels created by the marvellous Josie Rourke. In 2014, when it premiered, it was described by The Stage magazine as “a blissful evening”, and by the Evening Standard as “smart, seductive and very funny”.

The musical score comes from Cy Coleman and David Zippel, and the book is just as brilliantly witty as the play itself, crafted with love and humour by Larry Gelbart. This latest production stars a host of fabulous actors including Hadley Fraser, Theo James, Rosalie Craig, Rebecca Trehearn, Jonathan Slinger, Nicola Roberts and Vanessa Williams.

City of Angels has won three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score, as well as two Olivier Awards for Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival. The 2014 Donmar Warehouse revival, also by the Donmar Warehouse's artistic director Josie Rourke, starred Hadley Fraser as Stine and Tam Mutu as Stone, Rosalie Craig as Gabbi and Bobbi, Katherine Kelly as Alura and Carla and Samantha Barks as Mallory and Avril. It was nominated for five 2015 Olivier Awards: Magic Radio Best Musical Revival, which it won, a White Light Award for Best Lighting Design, which it won, plus Best Director, Best Costume Design, and an XL Video Award for Best Set Design.

And what does all this wonderment mean? It means oodles of theatre magic, awaiting you in the capital's West End. See you soon at the Garrick!

Who is this show for? City of Angels is suitable for people aged 13 plus.