The premiere of One Love: The Bob Marley Musical, opens at Birmingham Repertory Theater in the United Kingdom in March 2017.
Cedella Marley, daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, is elated it will play in an area where her father had a large following.
“On behalf of the Marley family I am thrilled that our father’s story is going to be brought to the stage with this production. Birmingham is a natural place for its UK premiere. With its great mix of cultures, it’s a city where my father performed to audiences that were captivated by his presence, and we have no doubt that telling the story through music to a new generation in Birmingham will be part of his continuing legacy,” she said.
One Love: The Bob Marley Musical tells the story of Marley’s rise from Third World star to global icon. It also shows his influence in bringing peace to politically divided Jamaica during the 1970s.
British actor, playwright, singer and broadcaster Kwame Kwei-Armah said: “Few artists have had as big an effect on the world as Bob Marley. Even fewer as big an effect on me. I feel continually blessed and honored to dance with Bob in this way.”
Marley fled Jamaica in December 1976 following an assassination attempt on his life at his St Andrew home. It took place (December 3) one day before the Smile Jamaica concert at National Heroes Park in Kingston, where he was the headliner.
Marley, his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor were shot. After performing at the show, he and his Wailers band left for The Bahamas then London, for almost two years.
While in England, Marley recorded the Exodus and Kaya albums. The former, released in 1977, stayed in the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks and was named Best Of The Century by TIME Magazine in 1999.
In 1978, Marley returned to Jamaica, where the political situation had further deteriorated, to perform at the One Love Peace Concert.
One Love: The Bob Marley Musical is presented by the Birmingham Repertory Theater Company in association with Playful Productions and Stage Play Limited.
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