Following the global success of Matilda, the Australian comedian’s next show will tour to New York after its London premiere.

After the roaring success of his award-winning musical Matilda, Tim Minchin is currently working on a musical theatre version of the 1993 hit movie, Groundhog Day. Excitment about Minchin’s latest project has been feverpitched, so it’s little wonder that after a premiere season in London the show is already set to tour to New York’s Broadway in 2017, with previews beginning next January.

Groundhog Day will bring together the same  team as Minich’s first musical theatre hit, with choreography by Peter Darling, direction by Matthew Wachus and design by Rob Howell. The creative team from Matilda have won a plethora of awards, including four Tony’s, five Drama Desk Awards and eight Olivier’s, including Best New Musical. Having set dates and workshopped the music for his new show, Minchin is now looking to announce the full cast in the next month. As yet, no Australian season has been confirmed, but given the popularity of the Aussie Matilda tour, a Down Under Groundhog Day seems likely.

Set to hit London stages later this year, Tim Minchin told The Guardian that he is “incredibly impatient to see [Groundhog Day] on its feet”. Their version, according to Minchin, will be both “instantly recognisable, and utterly different” – combining the drama and comendy of the film with Minchin’s toe-tapping songs. 

The well-known film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, tells the story of a weatherman, Phil, who is sent to report on the annual emergence of a groundhog from his hole. On his way back from the festivities, Phil gets caught unexpectedly in a blizzard that traps him in time warp, forcing him to relive the same day over and over. Minchin is excited about the adaptation, and promises that the musical will be “thematically rich, whilst still being a joyous romantic comedy”.


Before its premiere on Broadway, Groundhog Day will play a limited season at London’s Old Vic Theatre from June 11

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