The new musical “Nero,” produced with the participation of South Korea’s SeenSee Company, will hold a London tryout at the Main Space of Southwark Playhouse Elephant from Nov. 2 to Dec. 5.
A tryout allows a creative team to present a developing production to audiences and revise its script, score and staging before a potential full-scale run.
Set in ancient Rome, “Nero” approaches the emperor through themes of power, ambition, political persuasion and the relationship between rulers and the public. Rather than presenting Nero solely as a historical tyrant, the musical examines him as an artist, performer and heir to power, connecting political authority with public spectacle.
Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, the writing team behind “Spring Awakening,” have reunited for the project. Sater is writing the book and lyrics, while Sheik is composing the music. Lindsay Posner, whose directing credits include productions in the West End, at the Royal Court Theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company, will direct.
Andrew Barth Feldman, known for Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen” and the film “No Hard Feelings,” will play Nero. The production marks his London stage debut.
Early development of “Nero” began at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre in 2006. The project was subsequently developed through workshops at New York Stage and Film in 2008 and Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh CLO in 2015.
According to SeenSee Company, it joined the project in 2022 and held a New York workshop that year to restructure the script and score. Five further workshops in London involved readings, auditions and revisions to the musical and dramatic structure.
The creative team completed presentations for the production’s visual concept, sets, costumes and lighting in July. Rehearsals and pre-production work are scheduled to take place in London from September through October.
“‘Nero’ does more than reproduce the life of a tyrant from history,” SeenSee producer Park Myung-sung said. “It asks contemporary audiences to consider the relationship between political figures and the public.”
No date has been set for a Korean production. SeenSee Company is considering staging the musical in Korea following the London tryout.
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