| The Grinning Man | |
| Music: | Tim Phillips Marc Teitler |
| Lyrics: | Carl Grose Tom Morris Tim Phillips Marc Teitler |
| Basis: | The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo |
| Premiere Location: | Bristol Old Vic |
| Productions: | 2016 Bristol 2017 West End 2022 Moscow 2024 Melbourne |
The Grinning Man is a tragicomic musical based on Victor Hugo's 1869 novel The Man Who Laughs with a book by Carl Grose, music by Tim Phillips, Marc Teitler and lyrics by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler.
The musical made its world premiere at the Bristol Old Vic, beginning previews from 13 October, with a press night on 20 October, for a limited run until 13 November 2016. The production was directed by Tom Morris, set designed by Jon Bausor, costume designed by Jean Chan, movement direction by Jane Gibson, lighting design by Richard Howell, sound design by Simon Baker, with puppetry direction and design by Gyre & Gimble (Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié).[1]
Following the success of the Bristol run, the musical transferred to the Trafalgar Studios (Studio 1) in London's West End beginning previews from 5 December, with a press night on 18 December 2017.[2] [3] The production ended its extended run on 5 May 2018.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced the Bristol Old Vic would stream an archive recording of the production (featuring the original Bristol cast) on YouTube from 26 June to 3 July 2020.[4]
The playtext was published by Samuel French, Inc. on 5 May 2021.
On 4 February 2022, an opening reading of the musical took place, the musical made its world premiere in Moscow at the Yauza Palace, beginning previews from 23 September, with opening night on 21 October.
On 19 December 2023, it was announced that the production would make its international premiere at Alex Theatres St Kilda, beginning previews from 25 April, with opening night on 2 May. The run is expected to end 19 May. This production combines elements from both the Bristol and West End productions.
| Grinpayne | Louis Maskell | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Pavel Stukalov / Yaroslav Bayarunas / Aleksey Petrov | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Maxwell Simon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osric / Young Grinpayne | N/A | N/A | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Pavel Stukalov / Andranik Petrosyan | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Matthew Hearne |
| Barkilphedro | Julian Bleach | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Ruslan Gerasimenko / Denis Saraikin / Aleksey Petrov | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Jennifer Vuletic | |
| Ursus | Sean Kingsley | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Andrey Shkoldychenko / Denis Saraikin | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Dom Hennequin | |
| Duchess Josiana | Gloria Onitiri | Amanda Wilkin | Galina Bezruk / Galina Shimanskaya / Yuliya Olejnik | Melanie Bird | ||
| Dea | Audrey Brisson | Sanne Den Besten | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Vilena Sokolova / Daria Yanvarina | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Luisa Scrofani |
| Young Dea | N/A | N/A | N/A | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Lilly Cascun | |
| Osric the Freak-Wrangler of Stokes Croft / Lord Hazlitt Trelaw | Ewan Black | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Pavel Stukalov / Andranik Petrosyan | colspan-“4” align=“center” | N/A | |
| Mojo Head / Archbishop Kupsak | Stuart Angell | James Alexander-Taylor | Aleksandr Kazakov / Andrey Shkoldychenko / Andrey Yezhov | N/A | ||
| Mojo / Cellist | N/A | N/A | colspan-“3” align=“center” | Ruslan Gerasimenko / Andrey Abeltsev | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward |
| Lord David Dirry-Moir | Stuart Neal | Mark Anderson | Nikita Radchenko / Igor Skripko / Artem Eliseev | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Anthony Craig | |
| Queen Angelica | Patrycja Kujawska | Julie Atherton | Anastasiya Makarova / Olga Vecherik | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Stephanie Astrid John | |
| King Clarence | Sean Kingsley | Jim Kitson / David Bardsley | Denis Saraikin / Andrey Shkoldychenko | Dom Hennequin | ||
| Lady Trelaw / Quake | Gloria Obianyo | Sophia Mackay | Yuliya Olejnik / Daria Burlyukalo | Shelley Dunlop | ||
| Lord Trelaw / Guitarist | N/A | N/A | N/A | colspan-“4” align=“center” | Luke Leong-Tay | |
| Mojo Body / Frozen Woman | Alice Barclay | Loren O'Dair | N/A | N/A | ||
| Ensemble | N/A | Christina Bloom | Yuliya Olejnik / Daria Burlyukalo / Kristina Tolmacheva | N/A | ||
| Ensemble | N/A | Jonathan Cobb | Aleksandr Kazakov / Andrey Abeltsev | N/A | ||
| Ensemble | N/A | Leo Elso | Aleksandr Sharabarin | N/A | ||
| Ensemble | N/A | Claire-Marie Hall | Valeriya Morar / Daria Marincheva | N/A | ||
A cast recording was released on 13 July 2018, featuring the Original London Cast, which contained 19 songs from the show, including a bonus track 'Only a Clown', recorded by Julian Bleach.
The Grinning Man received mostly positive reviews, with The Guardian calling it "a fabulously theatrical conceit" and giving it four out of five stars,[8] and The Stage calling it "unusual yet enticing".[9] However, the Evening Standard gave it two out of five stars, citing the "dismayingly unclear" narrative and "largely unmemorable" music and singing.[10]