ONCE ON THIS ISLAND returns to London with special concert staging at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
It has been announced that Tony Award winner Alex Newell will return to their acclaimed role as Asaka for the London stage in a special concert staging of Once on this Island at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 8 February.
Newell won great acclaim for their performance as Asaka in the 2018 Broadway revival of Once on this Island and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Shucked. Alex Newell also played the role of Unique Adams in the hit musical series Glee and Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.
Alex Newell said: “Playing Asaka is like stepping into pure sunlight—she lives in my bones, loud and loving, wise and wild, and absolutely unafraid. Every time I return to her, it feels like reconnecting with a part of myself that refuses to dim. And after performing Pippin at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, I fell head-over-heels for London’s audiences—their open hearts, their contagious energy, their willingness to go on a ride with you from the very first note. Coming back to this city feels like being welcomed by an old friend who never forgot you. I can’t wait to shake the stage again, to fill it with laughter and power and color, and to pour every ounce of myself into a character who has given me so much.”
They are joined by West End stars Dujonna Gift (Two Strangers…) as Ti Moune, Whatsonstage Award-winner Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown) as Papa Ge, and Olivier Award nominee Cedric Neal (Guys & Dolls) as Agwe.
The cast also includes Jamael Westman as Daniel Beauxhomme, Casey Al-Shaqsy as Andrea Deveraux, Waylon Jacobs as Armand Beauxhomme, Ako Mitchell as Tonton Julian, and Wendy Mae Brown as Mama Euralie. The ensemble includes Elliot Broadfoot, Jerome Lincoln, Lindo Shinda, and Tamara Tare. Further casting will be announced soon.
Once on this Island is written by the Tony and Olivier-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty - bursting to life with Caribbean color, driving rhythms, and the unstoppable pulse of folklore.
The story follows Ti Moune, a bold and hopeful peasant girl who saves - and falls in love with - Daniel, a boy from a world far beyond her own. When destiny shifts, she makes a daring pact with the island gods, embarking on a journey of love, loss, faith, and fearless hope.
A sweeping celebration of passion, sacrifice, and the magic of community, Once on This Island returns in this unforgettable concert event—vibrant, heart-stirring, and utterly unmissable.
The concert will be directed by Annabel Mutale-Reed, with musical direction by Jordan Li-Smith, sound by Harry Greatorex, and casting by Ben Armstrong Casting. The London Musical Theatre Orchestra will perform live in accompaniment.
