Sting to Star in Newly Adapted Version of His Musical The Last Ship for a Limited Run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
17-time Grammy Award winning artist 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.
Sting plays a leading role in The Last Ship, the acclaimed 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.
Bookings and more information: https://thelastship-musical.com/
WHO IS STING
Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and activist Sting was born in Newcastle, England, and rose to global prominence as a founding member of The Police, whose five studio albums earned six Grammy Awards and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
As a solo artist, Sting has established himself as one of the world’s most distinctive and acclaimed voices. His body of work has earned 11 additional Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, four Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award nomination, Billboard’s Century Award, and MusiCares’ Person of the Year honor. He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, the American Music Award of Merit, and the Polar Music Prize.
Throughout his illustrious career, Sting, managed by Martin Kierszenbaum/Cherrytree Music Company, has sold more than 100 million albums combined with The Police and as a solo artist. He is currently touring globally with his electrifying “STING 3.0” trio, joined by guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas.
Sting’s creative reach spans music, theater, and film; including his Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera (1989) and international collaborations such as 2008’s Welcome to the Voice in Paris alongside Elvis Costello, while his original musical The Last Ship—inspired by his shipbuilding hometown of Wallsend—earned a Tony Award nomination. He has also appeared in more than 15 films and produced A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.
Also,a committed humanitarian, Sting co-founded the Rainforest Fund with his wife, Trudie Styler, in 1989 to protect rainforests and support Indigenous communities around the world.
