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Artist News
Jimmy Nail sails out of Sting’s shipbuilding musical
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 11 January 2018
Jimmy Nail has been cast adrift by producers of Sting’s musical ‘The Last Ship’, and will not reprise his starring role when it receives its UK premiere in Newcastle in March.
Set in Newcastle, the show sees a group of shipbuilders take over a factory to build one last ship before it closes. Originally staged in Chicago in 2014, the show docked on Broadway the following year, where it quickly sank after five months due to poor ticket sales. Towards the end of that run, Sting jibed in to replace Nail in an attempt to float more ticket sales, but the ship had sailed by that point.
Nevertheless, the plan was to have Nail back on board for the show’s UK voyage. But not now. “After protracted negotiations carried out in good faith, we regret to announce the production’s offer of employment to Jimmy Nail has been withdrawn”, said producer Karl Sydow. “All at ‘The Last Ship’ thank him for his generosity and enormous contribution during what has been an eight-year journey”.
Nail added: “I was very much looking forward to appearing in Sting’s ‘The Last Ship’, particularly here in my home city. Sadly that’s not to be. To anyone who has purchased a ticket, please go see the show and give this vessel the launch it so deserves. You’ll hear some of the finest musical works ever composed for the stage”.
Having headed leeward, Joe McGann hops aboard to replace Nail. After opening at the Northern Stage theatre on 12 Mar, the show will set sail around the UK and Ireland until July. Boats, hey?
