CCMusic.com

Sony Music Masterworks is delighted to announce the release of the Original London Cast Recording of Sue Townsend's 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾' - The Musical. This eagerly-anticipated album with it's infectious score showcases aspects of the life of Britain's best-loved, luckless teenager. It features the original London cast with book and lyrics by Jake Brunger and music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, all under the musical direction of Alex Parker. The cast includes Benjamin Lewis as Adrian Mole, Kelly Price as Pauline Mole, Gay Soper as Grandma Mole, Dean Chisnall as George Mole, Lara Wollington as Pandora, John Hopkins as Mr Lucas/Mr Scruton, Lara Denning as Doreen Slater/Miss Elf, Connor Davies as Barry and Max Robson as Nigel. Following two highly acclaimed runs at Leicester's Curve theatre in 2015 and the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2017, the musical will open for a limited season from 15 June until 12 October 2019 at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, with a Gala Night on Tuesday 2 July. It is directed by Luke Sheppard. Set in the 1980s in Leicester, this adaptation of Sue Townsend's best-selling book is a timeless tale of teenage angst, family struggles and unrequited love, told through the eyes of tortured poet and misunderstood intellectual, Adrian Mole. One of the most enduring comedy characters of all time, he is the hapless, hilarious, spotty teenager who captured the zeitgeist of 1980s Britain. This critically acclaimed production brings Adrian's story to life for a new generation of theatregoers. The Townsend family noted: "Sue loved West End theatre and she loved working with Jake and Pippa on the creation of this show. We're very happy for her and Mole that thirty years after his last appearance, a new generation has brought him back." Sarah Thwaites, UK Label Head commented: "It's incredibly exciting to see the nation's beloved novel by Sue Townsend 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾' come to life on the big stage and it's a real honour for Sony Music Masterworks to release the Original London Cast Recording of this critically acclaimed and delightfully British production". 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾' was Townsend's first novel, originally published in 1982 by Methuen and now published by Penguin Books. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, been translated into 30 languages and spawned seven sequel Adrian Mole novels. The novels have previously been adapted for the stage, radio and television.