Disney has chosen Bristol’s biggest theatre to stage the world premiere of a new stage adaptation of the hit movie The Greatest Showman – with Hippodrome audiences becoming the first in the world to see the show.
The 2017 film inspired by the story of showman PT Barnum has been a smash hit for Disney, but there hasn’t been a full stage musical version of the movie – until now.
In August last year, Disney announced at a fan convention in California that The Greatest Showman would be heading to the stage, and now, Disney has announced that the stage show will premiere in the spring of 2026 – and it will be not Hollywood, not Broadway or the West End, but at the Bristol Hippodrome.
“The musical will feature the Grammy-award winning and Oscar-nominated songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, including ‘The Greatest Show’, ‘A Million Dreams and ‘This is Me’, together with brand new songs written especially for the musical,” a spokesperson for Disney said.
In a statement, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul said: “We are continuously surprised and moved by how much the songs from The Greatest Showman seem to have resonated around the world, and to now have the opportunity to bring them to the stage is truly thrilling.”
The people behind the Disney Theatrical Group, Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher, said: “It has been decades since an original film musical has been so passionately and broadly embraced as The Greatest Showman, and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s songs have found a treasured place in the world’s heart.
“Audiences responded to the film’s joyful energy, and themes of self-discovery, community, and the families we create,” they added.
“We’re excited to bring it to the stage as a purely theatrical piece and the natural next chapter in its extraordinary life. We cannot wait to see how this incredibly talented team of creatives elevate the beloved work still further. Tim Federle is among the new generation of Disney storytellers, returning to Broadway after remarkable success in film and television.
“Casey Nicholaw, a longtime key contributor to Disney Theatrical Group’s success, has an unrivalled genius for combining joy and heart in his award-winning stage work. Now we begin the search for the performers who will bring this story to life on stage,” they added.
The Greatest Showman is holding open auditions across the UK for ‘exceptional singers, actors and dancers’ – in Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff (on March 29), Birmingham the next day, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds and Liverpool in April and Exeter on Sunday, May 4, Newcastle and then London on Saturday, May 24.