Sunday in the Park with George Returns to London with Star-Studded Revival

Introduction: A Celebrated Musical Returns to the West End

Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey will officially star in a London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George.” This announcement marks a significant moment for British theatre, as the musical has not had a major London production in almost two decades. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical’s return to the capital represents an important cultural event for theatre enthusiasts and fans of the Wicked co-stars alike.

Sunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The production’s revival brings renewed attention to Sondheim’s celebrated work and continues the legacy of one of musical theatre’s most innovative pieces.

Production Details and Creative Team

Performances will begin in summer 2027, with tickets on sale this May. Tony and Olivier Award winner Marianne Elliot is directing, with design by Tom Scutt. Elliott’s involvement is particularly noteworthy, as she previously directed Bailey in the acclaimed 2018 West End revival of Company, for which he won an Olivier Award.

The show is produced by Empire Street Productions and presented in association with the Barbican. Bailey will play the surly but passionate Seurat and Grande will portray his lover Dot. The duo teased their involvement by posting a photograph of themselves seated before Seurat’s iconic painting at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Significance for Theatre and the Stars’ Careers

This production represents a homecoming of sorts for both performers. It will serve as Grande’s London stage debut, and her first return to the stage since appearing in A Snow White Christmas at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2012. For Bailey, a West End veteran, the role offers another opportunity to showcase his theatrical prowess following recent acclaimed performances.

The Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical first opened in 1984, starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. The last major production was in 2017 on Broadway with Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford. This upcoming revival continues the musical’s distinguished history whilst introducing it to a new generation of theatregoers, particularly those who have followed Grande and Bailey’s recent success in Wicked. The production promises to be one of 2027’s most anticipated theatrical events, combining legendary material with contemporary star power.