Sting Will Star in Reimagined THE LAST SHIP in the West End

Sting will perform in a newly reimagined production of his musical, The Last Ship, for a limited run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 22 September – 3 October. Featuring a new book by Barney Norris this production of the Last Ship, produced by Karl Sydow, is directed by Leo Warner with set and video design by 59, a Journey studio.

While continuing the STING 3.0 World Tour, Sting has also dedicated time this year to taking The Last Ship production to cities across the globe, with successful runs in Amsterdam, Brisbane, and Paris, plus further dates at the Metropolitan Opera in New York this coming June, followed by a return to Amsterdam in the Autumn, performing in every show.

Sting plays a leading role in The Last Ship, the musical he first developed in 2011, initially inspired by his 1991 album The Soul Cages, which earned a TONY nomination for Best Original Score. Further cast details are to be announced.

Rooted in his own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, The Last Ship tells the moving story of a community of shipbuilders in the North East of England, faced with the closure of their shipyard – the heart of their existence.

Sting takes on the role of Jackie White, the shipyard’s foreman whose health is failing just as his leadership is needed most. In this very personal show, the artist immerses the audience in the hometown he was desperate to escape, a world where love, loss, and hope intertwine.

“I grew up in the shadow of the shipyard,” says Sting. “I’d watch thousands of men walk to work each morning, but I dreamed of something else… I dreamed of escaping, and I did everything in my power to get away from that life. But the farther I got, the more I realized I needed to understand where I came from and felt I had to give something back. The Last Ship is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me.”

Sting’s beloved songs such as Island of Souls, All This Time, and When We Dance are woven into the performance in this fully staged, large-scale production featuring a company of over 50.

The Creative Team also includes Set and Props Designer Jenny Melville; Costume Designer Loren Elstein; Lighting Designer Adam Bassett; Sound Designer Tom Gibbons; Animation Director Matt Taylor; Choreographer Rebecca Howell; Video Designer Benjamin Pearcy; Musical Supervisor & Orchestrator Rob Mathes And Md & Co-Orchestrator Richard John.