Southwark Playhouse Elephant Announces UK Premiere of Ride the Cyclone

Southwark Playhouse Elephant Announces UK Premiere of Ride the Cyclone

15-09-25

The full cast and creative team have been announced for the record-breaking UK premiere of Ride the Cyclone the Musical, opening at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on Friday 14 November 2025. The production has already broken the venue’s record for most tickets sold in a single day, and five additional performances have been added due to demand. The run continues until Saturday 10 January 2026, with official opening night set for Wednesday 19 November 2025.

The cast will be led by Edward Wu (Kim’s Convenience) as The Amazing Karnak, Baylie Carson (Mean Girls, SIX) as Ocean, Grace Galloway (Priscilla The Party, Blood Brothers) as Jane Doe, Robyn Gilbertson (professional debut) as Constance, Damon Gould (Cabaret, Newsies) as Noel, Bartek Kraszewski (professional debut) as Mischa, and Jack Maverick (professional debut) as Ricky. They are joined by Nathaniel Purnell (Shucked, The Time Traveller’s Wife) and Rebecca D’Lacey (The Rocky Horror Picture Show).

Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, Ride the Cyclone is a darkly comic musical about six teenagers killed in a rollercoaster accident, trapped in limbo and offered one last chance at life. One by one, they must step forward and argue their case in a mix of sharp satire, heartfelt storytelling, and genre-bending musical numbers.

The production will be directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, with musical direction by Ben McQuigg, set and costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight, lighting design by Tim Deiling, video design by Nina Dunn for PixelLux, and sound design by Tom Marshall. Casting is by Harry Blumenau.

Ride the Cyclone premiered in Canada in 2008 and has since played in Chicago, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Sydney and Buenos Aires, gaining international acclaim.

Writers Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell said:

“We are beyond thrilled that a musical, which began in the basement of a Ukrainian church in Victoria, Canada, has finally found its way to London, England, this fall! The exceptional team assembled for this production is truly remarkable, and we can’t wait for UK audiences to experience Ride the Cyclone.”

For tickets and information, visit the official site HERE.