Lift each other and heal together
Tony-nominated Broadway star Keala Settle is to lead the cast in the UK premiere of the new US musical Fly More Than You Fall at Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
Based on lived experiences the uplifting and inspiring show navigates grief with some incredible songs that are bound to get stuck in your head! This isn’t just a musical, it’s a journey that will break your heart and mend it all in one night.
Keala achieved global fame as the bearded lady Lettie Lutz in the film The Greatest Showman. Her moving rendition of the anthem ‘This is Me’ was a standout song in the movie, going on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a video on YouTube has now been watched 82m times. She will also appear as Miss Coddle in the film adaptation of Wicked later this year.
Keala said today: “I’m thrilled to be a part of this beautifully uplifting story. It’s such a testament to the strength and compassion of the human spirit and the freedom that resides within us all.”
When Malia’s mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, her life is thrown into turmoil. As she navigates Following her Mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis Malia’s life is thrown into turmoil. Yet as she navigates the next stage of her own life, Malia finds solace and strength in her writing and in her stories, Malia creates an imaginative world where a brave bird named Willow mirrors her own journey of resilience and growth.
Through the support of her friends, the guidance of her family, and her own inner resolve (along with a banging soundtrack), Malia learns to face her fears and embrace hope, discovering that even in the darkest times, we can find the courage to soar.
Eric Holmes and Nat Zegree both lost a parent to cancer at an early age and the writers have poured their personal grief and pain into this emotionally charged, uplifting musical. Holmes said: “We created the show because we needed the show. Nat and I had been wanting to write about our experiences of losing our parents at a very young age. Anyone who’s lost someone knows that with grief, there’s no time limit. It’s not three months and you’re out. You’re grieving the loss of a parent or any loved one for the rest of your life.”
In a society that doesn’t talk about grief we may all feel alone at times – Fly More Than You Fall gives us all a chance to lift each other and heal together with Malia.
Fly More Than You Fall, with Book & Lyrics by Eric Holmes (TV’s The Good Fight, Smash), Music & Lyrics by Nat Zegree, will be directed by Christian Durham.
Southwark Playhouse (Elephant), 1 Dante Place, 80 Newington Butts , London , SE11 4RX from 18th October- 23rd November.
Times: Mondays to Fridays: 7:30pm; Thursdays & Saturdays: 2:30pm & 7:30pm. Admission: £18 – £45.
Booking: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/
