London revival of Sunday In The Park With George cancelled after stars drop out

The upcoming London revival of Sunday In The Park With George has been cancelled following the withdrawal of stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.

The Wicked stars had been due to reunite on stage in the production at the Barbican in 2027, directed by Marianne Elliott.

In August, Grande announced she was pulling out of the show and taking a break from the spotlight, but production company Empire Street Productions said the show would continue as planned.

Jonathan Bailey had been due to reunite with his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande in the musical (Jonathan Brady/PA)

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Earlier this month, Bailey also announced he was also pulling out, but the company stressed: “Work on the production continues.”

However, on Monday it was announced the show will no longer be staged at the theatre next year.

A statement from the company said: “The planned 2027 production of Sunday In The Park With George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled.

“Empire Street Productions will retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028. Further details will be announced in due course.”

A statement from the Barbican said: “The planned 2027 production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled.

“Empire Street Productions will retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028. Further details will be announced in due course.

“The Barbican would like to thank the Empire Street Productions team for working closely with us. ”

Stephen Sondheim’s critically acclaimed musical is inspired by the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte.

It follows the story of a fictionalised Seurat as he tries to complete the portrait, showing challenges in understanding life and art, and exploring his relationship with his lover and muse, Dot.

In 2021 a previous attempt to the revive the musical – starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford – was postponed indefinitely due to the Covid pandemic.