By Grace Hatchell, currently wondering if Northern Rail could save time by replacing half their services with roller skates and disco lights.
There are theatre announcements… and then there are theatre announcements that come charging into station like a caffeinated freight train with a smoke machine attached.
And honestly? Starlight Express returning on a major new world tour feels exactly like that.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical is officially heading back out across the UK following its hugely successful London revival, with audiences in both Leicester and Sunderland preparing to experience one of musical theatre’s most gloriously over-the-top nights out once again.
The new production reopened in London at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in 2024 and quickly became one of the capital’s hottest tickets, picking up an Olivier Award, a record-breaking seven WhatsOnStage Awards, and becoming the longest-running revival of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in more than twenty years.
Now the high-speed spectacular is being redesigned for theatres across the UK and beyond, bringing all the racing energy, iconic music and neon-lit chaos directly to regional audiences.
Leicester’s Curve Theatre will be among the first major stops on the tour, with performances running from 9 – 27 May 2027, before the production later races north to Sunderland Empire in July 2027. And honestly? Leicester feels like a cracking fit for Starlight Express. Curve already has a reputation for putting on bold, visually spectacular productions, so unleashing an army of roller-skating trains into that theatre somehow feels both chaotic and completely correct. You can already picture audiences leaving theatre afterwards looking shell-shocked, clutching programmes and trying to explain to confused relatives down phone that yes, they did just spend two hours emotionally invested in a steam engine called Rusty.
With Sunderland? Sunderland feels like exactly the sort of city that’ll embrace this show with open arms and probably shout “weyyyyy!” every time somebody nearly falls off a skate.
There’s also something oddly fitting about Starlight Express landing in Sunderland. Big energy. Big tunes. Industrial spirit. A bit rough round the edges but full of heart. If the show had a favourite Greggs order, I reckon it’d fit right in on Fawcett Street.
And let’s be honest — northern audiences do appreciate a bit of graft. Rusty the steam train fighting against impossible odds? That’s basically every person trying to get through the Tyne Tunnel at five o’clock on a Friday.
And then there’s Birmingham.
Because if there’s one city that knows how to handle a proper big-scale musical spectacle, it’s Birmingham Hippodrome.
Starlight Express also will arrive at Birmingham Hippodrome from 11 August until 11 September 2027, and honestly, it feels like exactly the sort of glorious theatrical chaos that Birmingham audiences will absolutely devour. This is a city that embraces a proper event musical — the bigger the lights, the louder the music and the more dramatic the entrances, the better.
Also, Birmingham New Street station already feels like half a musical number most days anyway. Add roller skates, smoke machines and Andrew Lloyd Webber songs into mix and nobody’ll even bat an eyelid.
Tickets for the Birmingham run go on sale to Hippodrome Friends on Monday 19 May at 11am, with general sale opening on Thursday 21 May at 11am. And judging by the reaction this revival’s already had in London, I wouldn’t exactly hang about polishing your cutlery drawer before booking.
For anybody unfamiliar with the story (where have you been hiding, pet?), Starlight Express sees a child’s train set magically burst into life as competing engines race to become the fastest train in the world. At the heart of it all is Rusty, the underdog steam train who seems to have little chance against the flashy modern competition until he finds inspiration in the legendary Starlight Express itself.
The show’s score includes musical theatre favourites including AC/DC, Make Up My Heart, Light at the End of the Tunnel and, naturally, the iconic Starlight Express theme tune itself.
Michael Harrison described the new production as “an unmissable theatrical event” and promised audiences a thrilling updated staging featuring a dynamic new set design by Tim Hatley.
And from what London audiences have already seen, this isn’t some polite little nostalgia trip where everybody claps politely then shuffles off for a mini tub of ice cream. This thing flies.
Quite literally.
There’s something wonderfully unapologetic about Starlight Express. It doesn’t try to be gritty kitchen-sink realism. Nobody’s quietly staring out of rain-covered bus window contemplating mortgage rates in Gateshead. It’s trains. Racing trains. Singing trains. Roller-skating trains. And somehow it still manages to have more heart than half the prestige dramas on television.
Frankly, theatre could do with more of that energy sometimes.
Casting for the tour is still to be announced, but the creative team behind the revival includes director Luke Sheppard, choreographer Ashley Nottingham, costume designer Gabriella Slade and creative dramaturg Arlene Phillips.
So whether you’re heading to Leicester’s Curve or preparing for the arrival of roller-skating railway chaos at Sunderland Empire next summer, one thing’s pretty clear…
Starlight Express isn’t quietly rolling back into town.
It’s absolutely belting through Leicester, Birmingham and Sunderland train stations with sparks flying behind it.
For Leicester: STARLIGHT EXPRESS will run at Curve in Leicester from Sunday 9 May – Saturday 27 May 2027. Tickets are on sale for Made at Curve Circle, Champions and Patrols from Tuesday 19 May, Curve Friends from Wednesday 20 May, Loyalty Pass Holders, Groups and Access register customers from Thursday 21 May and on general sale from Tuesday 26 May 2026, all at 12pm midday. To find out more, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.
For Sunderland: ATG+ presale is Thursday 21 May at 10am. General tickets on sale Friday 22 May at 10am available online at ATGTickets.com/ Sunderland*
Starlight Express comes to Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 11 August until Saturday 11 September 2027. Tickets go on sale to Hippodrome Friends on Monday 19 May at 11am, and on general sale on Thursday 21 May at 11am. Tickets can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0121 689 3000.
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