The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice opens at HOME on Friday 27 November, running through to Saturday 2 January. It's a new British musical by Richard Hough and Alexander S. Bermange, directed by Kirk Jameson and produced by James Seabright, and it's getting its world premiere right here in Manchester. The cast is ten strong, and the whole thing is set against the Northern Lights.

If the title sounds familiar, it's because it's a gender-swapped, family-friendly take on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem, which later inspired Disney's Fantasia. This version follows the apprentice Eva as she discovers her magical powers in a Scandinavian town facing collapse, where a sorcerer and his apprentice have to work together to stop disaster. It's written for all ages, so it's one of those shows that works just as well with the kids as it does on its own.

There's a bit of history to it, too. It first came out in a digital format back in 2021 and has been developed further for the stage since then. This version adds new material and new music by the award-winning Bermange, whose credits include I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical. Jameson is directing, and he's previously staged Madagascar The Musical and Song from Far Away. Between the two of them, there's a fair bit of musical theatre experience behind this one.

It runs from Friday 27 November until Saturday 2 January, so it's a good shout for a Christmas outing. If you're taking the family, it's a proper family-friendly show, and it's playing at HOME in the city centre.