Redcliffe starring Jordan Luke Gage to move to West End
Gage said he was "thrilled that Redcliffe is transferring to the West End"
By Aaron Sugg
Jordan Luke Gage’s queer musical Redcliffe has been announced as transferring to London’s West End following its award-winning off-West End world premiere.
Written by and starring Gage, the musical will run at the Criterion Theatre for 12 weeks, from 28 January 2027.
Developed over three years, the show was first presented at the Turbine Theatre in 2024, followed by eight sold-out workshop performances at The Other Palace. Its first full production took place at Southwark Playhouse earlier this year where attitude gave it a five star review.
What is Redcliffe about?
Set in 18th-century Bristol, Redcliffe follows the romance between William Critchard (Gage) and Richard Arnold (previously played by Daniel Krikler), blending comedy and tragedy while confronting a time when being gay could carry devastating consequences.
Speaking to WhatsOnStage, Gage said he was “thrilled that Redcliffe is transferring to the West End, giving us the chance to share this story with even more people”.
“Our run at Southwark Playhouse was incredibly special, and the response deeply moving. I’m excited to build on that momentum, challenge perspectives, open hearts and spark meaningful conversations.
Redcliffe moves to The Criterion Theatre on West End
“The Criterion Theatre is the perfect home for Redcliffe, allowing us to expand the world we’ve created while preserving the intimacy and sense of community at the heart of the show.”
Gage won Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer at this year’s Stage Debut Awards. He will reprise his role as William in the West End production.
Jenny Seagrove, chairperson of the Bill Kenwright Group, said the company had supported Redcliffe since its first presentation at the Turbine Theatre during MTFest.
“Even in those early stages, it was clear that Jordan had created something truly special, and it has been a joy to watch the show evolve over the past two and a half years,” she said.
“I read this article and it really moved me” – Jordan Luke Gage on the inspiration behind Redcliffe
Speaking previously to Attitude, Gage discussed the inspiration behind the musical, recalling reading an article from 1752 detailing an incident between two men at a time when sex between men was illegal.
“If you were caught doing anything remotely sexual with another man, it could be punishable by death. I read this article and it really moved me, so I started by writing a song that just naturally flowed out of me reading it. Once I had that song, I built the whole show around it,” he said.
“We don’t have a huge amount of resources from the 1700s, so a lot of the characters are fictionalised, which has been a really enjoyable part of the process.”
Tickets for Redcliffe go on sale at 12pm on 5 November.