From the West End to the New Vic!

A West End star who has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Hugh Jackman is hotfooting it to the New Vic to star in an all-new musical adventure.

Jimmy Johnston, who has twice been nominated for an Olivier – the Oscars of the theatre world - is starring in Chris Monks’ Soul Man, which runs at the theatre-in-the-round from Wednesday 5 to Saturday 15 September.

Johnstonreceived Olivier Award Best Actor nominations for roles as The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Will Parker in Oklahoma! at the National Theatre, a role he reprised in the film with Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman.

Direct from the West End, Johnston is known for roles in musicals including Dreamboats and Petticoats, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, andCats.

He is now appearing as the Soul Man himself, Justin Jones, in Monks’ new musical which, based on Verdi’s Rigoletto and Victor Hugo’s Le Roi S’Amuse, swaps 19^th century Italy for 1970s Leeds.

West Yorkshire, 1974. Justin Jones, the best stand-up comedian this side of Leeds, has something precious to hide. Pursued by vengeful enemies and with the cards stacked against him, this Joker needs to get himself and a precious cargo out of the country before it’s too late.

Monks, who made his name with critically acclaimed adaptations of Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, said: “I’m taking a chain saw to Mr Verdi’s Rigoletto! Cutting it to pieces and then reassembling it.”

Bringing the love, lust and revenge of Verdi’s masterpiece to the stage, the show also features a live band with hitssuch as Love Train by The O’Jays, Queen of Clubs by KC and the Sunshine Band and Dancing Machine by the Jackson 5 on the cards.

Monks explained:“I went to Music College in Leeds in 1974, and I used to be in a show band playing the working men’s clubs of West Yorkshire, There was a club at the time called the Batley Variety Club and that was my inspiration for the club where my version starts.

“There will be a live band on stage and as well as Verdi, there’s going to be some soul music.”

Tickets for Soul Man, priced from £10.50 to £19.50 (with concessions) are available by

telephoning the New Vic Box Office on 01782 717962 or online.