Wild Rose

ABOUT

By Nicole Taylor
Choreography by Steven Hoggett & Vicki Manderson
Music supervision by Sarah Travis
Directed by John Tiffany

2026/27 Season

Read Synopsis

SING YOUR OWN SONG.

There is only one thing in Rose-Lynn’s life that has ever made sense: country music.

Fresh out of jail for some past mistakes, free-spirited Rose-Lynn is bursting with raw talent & charisma, and ready to escape Glasgow, Scotland to chase her dream of being a country music singer. But her mother Marion has had enough, insisting that she settle down, ditch the fantasy, and focus on raising her two young kids. Rose-Lynn reluctantly agrees to take a cleaning job and finds an unlikely champion in her new boss Susannah, bringing her dream closer than ever. Now Rose-Lynn must decide if risking everything will really pave the road to Nashville.

From Nicole Taylor, BAFTA-winning writer of the original film and global sensation One Day, and renowned director John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once), Wild Rose is an uplifting and heartwarming new musical about motherhood, dreams and finding your three chords and the truth.

This US premiere production will feature songs from country music legends including Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Chris Stapleton, Caitlyn Smith, The Chicks, Patty Griffin and more, alongside the film’s award-winning original song Glasgow (No Place Like Home).

Nicole Taylor / Writer

Nicole is a BAFTA-winning screenwriter, originally from Glasgow, Scotland. Nicole adapted David Nicholls’ bestseller One Day into a 14-part series for Netflix, which went to global number one and received widespread critical and audience acclaim. She also wrote “Three Girls” for BBC1 about the Rochdale grooming scandal, which won five BAFTAs. She wrote the film Wild Rose starring Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo. This is her first time writing for the stage.

John Tiffany / Director

Theatre credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End, Broadway), Once (West End, Broadway), The Glass Menagerie (Edinburgh International Festival, West End, Broadway), Let The Right One In, Macbeth, Be Near Me, The Bacchae, Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland), The End Of History, Road, The Pass (Royal Court), Gagarin Way, Abandonment, Passing Places (Traverse Theatre).  Awards include Best Direction of a Play (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) – Tony Awards 2018, Best Director (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) – Olivier Awards 2017, Best Direction of a Musical (Once) – Tony Awards 2013, Best Director (Black Watch) – Olivier Awards 2009. John trained at Glasgow University and Traverse Theatre. He was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-11 academic year.

Steven Hoggett / Co-Choreographer

Theatre credits as Choreographer include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End, Broadway, international); The Glass Menagerie (Edinburgh International Festival); Once (West End); Sweeney Todd, A Beautiful Noise, Angels in America, The Crucible, The Last Ship, Rocky: The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, American Idiot (Broadway); Nye, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Light Princess, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre); Let the Right One In (National Theatre of Scotland, St. Ann’s Warehouse). Theatre credits as Movement/Associate Director include Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland, St. Ann’s Warehouse). Theatre credits as Director include Discoshow (Linq Las Vegas), Burn (National Theatre of Scotland, The Joyce), Social! The Social Distance Dance Club (Park Avenue Armory), Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined (NYTW, West End). Film credits include How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dreamworks), Freakshow (Maven Pictures). As a founding member of Frantic Assembly, Steven also co-wrote, with Scott Graham, The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre.

Vicki Manderson / Co-Choreographer

Lyceum credits: The Outrun (with Edinburgh International Festival); Cockpit, Sunset Song (with Dundee Rep); Anna Karenina (with Bristol Old Vic). Theatre credits as Choreographer include When Prophecy Fails, The Hope River Girls, The Afflicted (Groupwork); Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning, Burn, Orphans, The Enemy, 306: Day (National Theatre of Scotland); Moonset (Citizens Theatre); Square Go (Francesca Moody Productions); Light Falls, Queen Margaret, Happy Days, The Almighty Sometimes (Royal Exchange Manchester); Ear for Eye, Instructions for Correct Assembly, A Profoundly Affectionate Passion Devotion to Someone (- noun) (Royal Court); Cinderella, Wings Around Dundee (Dundee Rep); Companion Moon (Coney); Last Orders at The Dockside, The Country Girls, Jimmys Hall (The Abbey Dublin); Crooked Dances (Royal Shakespeare Company). Theatre credits as Associate Movement Director include The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre); Let the Right One In (National Theatre of Scotland, Marla Rubin, Bill Kenwright); In Time O’ Strife, Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland). Film credits include Swirl (Random Acts, Debbie Tucker Green). Awards and nominations include Outstanding Fight Choreography nominee (Square Go) – Drama Desk Awards, Best Movement Direction nominee (Jimmys Hall) – Irish Times Theatre Awards. Vicki trained at The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance and London Contemporary Dance School.

Sarah Travis / Music Supervisor

Theatre credits include The Cabinet Minister, Jerry Girls (Menier Chocolate Factory); Grease (Dominion Theatre, UK tour); Toy Show The Musical (Dublin); 101 Dalmatians (Regents Park); West Side Story, Scrooge, Legally Blonde (Curve); Beautiful (Curve, UK tour); The Magician’s Elephant, Miss Littlewood (Royal Shakespeare Company); Talent (Crucible Theatre); Curtains (UK tour); Sweet Charity, A Little Night Music, Copacabana, Spend Spend Spend, Sunset Boulevard, Martin Guerre, Hot Mikado Honk!, Mack and Mabel, Fiddler On The Roof, Gondoliers Ten Cents a Dance, Piaf, Carmen, A Star Danced (Watermill Theatre); Sister Act (UK tour); The Hired Man (NYMT); Fiddler On The Roof (UK tour); Dear World (Charing X); Chess (UK tour); Peter Pan (Oxford Playhouse). Pianist credits include Two Turtle Doves (Crazy Coqs), Julian Clary, Canned Clary, Natural Born Mincer (UK tour); Fascinating Aida in Barefaced Chic (Haymarket Theatre, UK tour); Lily Savage (Purcell Rooms); Bette Midler and Me (Gilded Balloon). Awards include Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Orchestration (Sweeney Todd). Sarah trained at City University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

NEWS

From director JOHN TIFFANY:

“Returning to New York Theatre Workshop with a new musical is incredibly meaningful to me and a homecoming in many ways. This is a place that champions bold work and intimate storytelling. It is the perfect fit for Wild Rose as we introduce this deeply human story about spirit and resilience and hope to New York audiences for the first time.”


From writer and creator NICOLE TAYLOR:

“There is no character I’ve ever written or will write who means more to me than Rose-Lynn Harlan. From the moment she roared into my mind, fully formed, I imagined her both on the stage and on the screen. Growing up as a country music obsessed kid in Scotland, how I longed to escape what felt like a very emotionally inexpressive culture and go to the source of this music that meant everything to me. In a very thrilling case of life imitating art, here we are bringing the show to America, and I am so delighted to be working with the great John Tiffany. I cannot wait to share this story of mothers and daughters, reality and dreams with American audiences”. 

★★★★ “A TREMENDOUS NIGHT OUT.” –Across the Arts

★★★★★ “An ABSOLUTE TRIUMPH.” –All Edinburgh Theatre

★★★★★ “Hit me full-force and LEFT ME VIRTUALLY BREATHLESS.” ScotsGayArts

★★★★ “A FAST-MOVING, HEART-GRABBING new musical.” –The Observer

“Director John Tiffany has pulled off another feat of THEATRICAL ALCHEMY.” –The Sunday National

The world premiere of Wild Rose debuted at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2025. The musical is based on the film of the same title, written by Nicole Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures and released in 2018.

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