Assassins
Music and lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by JOHN WEIDMAN
The assassins who killed – or tried to kill – America’s presidents gather in one surreal, darkly comic musical to take their shot at infamy.
23-27 SEPTEMBER 2025
“Murder is a tawdry little crime. But when a president gets killed… he gets assassinated.”
Welcome to Americon – a twisted convention of history’s most notorious names. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassins who killed – or tried to kill – America’s presidents gather in one surreal, darkly comic musical to take their shot at infamy.
Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins is a bold, satirical, fiercely funny journey through the dark side of the American dream, exploring the fractured psyche of a nation obsessed with power, celebrity and the myth of the self-made man.
In this nightmarish roller coaster, assassins from across the ages meet and inspire each other to harrowing acts. Time bends, motives collide and forgotten voices demand to be heard – by any means necessary.
A multiple award-winning theatrical tour-de-force, Assassins brings Sondheim's signature blend of intelligent lyrics and beautiful music to this timely reimagining of one of the most controversial musicals ever written.
Take your seat. Take your shot.
Assassins plays at the Bridewell Theatre from 23-27 September 2024.
Every performance of Assassins is now sold out – please check the box office for returns.
Content warnings: The show includes scenes of and references to violence, including guns and gunshots, death, suicide, strong language, adult content and flashing lights. The production also includes a single use of strong racially discriminatory language. All guns used during this performance are replicas which are inoperable. All gunshot sound effects are pre-recorded. Recommended for ages 15+.
Assassins
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Assassins is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.
Playwrights Horizons, Inc. - New York City produced Assassins Off-Broadway in 1990
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.co.uk
CAST
LYNETTE "SQUEAKY" FROMME | Claire Brewin (she/her)
SARA JANE MOORE | Jessica Dawes (she/her)
LEE HARVEY OSWALD | Joe Dickens (he/him)
LEON CZOLGOSZ | Jake Dufton (he/him)
JOHN HINCKLEY JR. | Glen Jordan (he/him)
SAMUEL BYCK | Adam Moulder
GIUSEPPE ZANGARA | David Phipps-Davis (he/him)
JOHN WILKES BOOTH | Rourke Puksand (he/him)
CHARLES GUITEAU | Sam Sugarman
CONVENTION HOSTS | Anna Buckmaster (she/her) and Chris Daniel Cahill (he/him)
ENSEMBLE | Stephen Beeny, Will Garrood (he/him), Tama Knight (she/her), Jo Webber and Samantha Witte
CONVENTION CHORUS | Joby Blair (he/him), Annah Casey-Solly (she/her), Taylor Davidson (she/her), Jack Hanrahan (he/him), Phoebe Alice Pope (she/her) and Carly Whittaker
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR | Dan Edge (he/him)
MUSICAL DIRECTOR | Matt Gould (he/him)
PRODUCTION DESIGNER | Adrian Jeakins (he/him)
CHOREOGRAPHER | Emma Bowker (she/her)
PRODUCER | Pippa Kyle (she/her)
STAGE MANAGER | Andrew Laidlaw (he/him)
LIGHTING DESIGNER | Martin Walton (he/him)
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER | Ben Sassoon (he/him)
COSTUMES | Annie Houseago
SOUND DESIGNER | Adrian Jeakins (he/him)
DEPUTY SOUND OPERATOR | Adam Coppard (he/him)
SOUND NO 2 | Emma Hunt (she/they)
PROPS AND ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Harvey Dovell (he/him)
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Shiri Stern (she/her)
MARKETING | Stephen Beeny
PROGRAMME | Stephen Beeny and Pippa Kyle (she/her)
PHOTOGRAPHER | David Ovenden (he/him)
VIDEOGRAPHER | Adrian Hau (he/him)
COMMITTEE LIAISON | Emma Miller (she/her)
Dan Edge is the director of Sedos’ production and his concept was brilliantly considered… Each moment is played out perfectly in this new setting and… the ending is the icing on the cake… I am a big fan of shows being reinvented in new and relevant ways for a modern audience and Sedos has given us an exemplary display of how it should be done
Sedos’ Assassins is a polished, provocative production that deserves a life beyond its short run. It’s daring, darkly funny, and uncomfortably timely. Sondheim’s biting score and sharp lyrics are brought to life by a cast of remarkable vocal talent. If any fringe production has earned a shot at the West End spotlight, it’s this one. Bravo indeed!
I would strongly recommend following Sedos as quite possibly London’s finest amateur theatre company. Well done to the creative team behind the show for putting on a brilliant performance.
Assassins has never been more relevant. This may be an amateur production, but Sedos know their Sondheim and have pulled out all the stops.
When Sedos do Sondheim, you know it’s going to be special, and this energetic production of Assassins hits the mark with style… Dan Edge’s skilful direction creates a fantastic, heightened energy dynamic for this glorious parody of desperation and political violence, and Adrian Jeakins production design is wonderfully brash… Another triumph for the talented team at Sedos
Bridewell Theatre
Tickets from £14 (no booking fee)
- Tuesday 23 September 2025 7.30pm
- Wednesday 24 September 2025 7.30pm
- Thursday 25 September 2025 7.30pm
- Friday 26 September 2025 7.30pm
- Saturday 27 September 2025 2.30pm
- Saturday 27 September 2025 7.30pm
