A new production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s 1976 Broadway musical PACIFIC OVERTURES began performance at London’s Union Theatre July 2, opening officially July 4.

The production is directed by Michael Strassen, with musical direction by Richard Bates and a cast which comprises Ken Christiansen, Oli Reynolds, Emanuel Alba, Alex Mcmorran, Marc Lee Joseph, Ian Mowat, Joel Harper-Jackson, Lee Van-Geleen, Matt Jolly, Anthony Selywn, Marios Nicolaides, Joel Baylis and Josh Andrews.

Michael Strassen has also previously directed productions of ASSASSINS, THE BAKER’S WIFE, CALL ME MADAM, THE FIX, GODSPELL and COMPANY at the Union, as well as the Alan Ayckbourn play ‘Season´s Greeting’s’.

PACIFIC OVERTURES is set in an isolated Japan, swathed in honour and protected by invincible gods, has a very rude awakening in 1853 by western war ships. A lowly fisherman is sent to insist they turn back only to kick start a chain of events that lead to drastic social change. Pulling on Japanese art forms such as Kabuki and Butoh, PACIFIC OVERTURES is an epic tale of how the child becomes the master..

Michael Strassen has told us about his work in this new production. Strassen decided PACIFIC OVERTURES to be his next show because “it was the hardest musical I could think of and I wanted to stretch myself; and I also had a keen interest in Butoh and saw a possible new window of expression for it”.

He introduces the show with these words: “It´s not complex. Two men are forced to face terrifying ships and tell them to go back. They fail. One loses his wife as she fears him dead. The men are friends but one embraces the west looking for new ways to ´be´ in his grief the other remains stoically traditional. Tradition slaughters the west. The show to me is a series of metaphors.”

Talking about the rehearsal process, he defines it as “wonderful”; adding: “I was disappointed only one Asian actor applied but then didn´t show for the audition. When I do an American show I like a few Americans in it. Like in COMPANY our Amy was from Chicago so PACIFIC OVERTURES was no different. I worked closely with a friend who’s an expert on Japanese culture but the piece found its own vocabulary. The cast all needed good core strength. My staging was all about suspension of time in space.”

Strassen says that he can’t think of a downside of the Union Theatre, a space he knows so well: “It is a theatrical space with a broad stage area. I love its darkness and also its location and lighting rig. It works miracles.”

PACIFIC OVERTURES is the third Sondheim musical directed by Strassen for the Union Theatre. The director says that approaching to the composer’s work allows him to be more aware about “how he uses music and lyrics as an echo of reality and emotional truth. Sondheim is all about style too. You have to house his music not play it.”

PACIFIC OVERTURES runs at the Union Theatre through August 2.