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Message In A Bottle

ABOUT THE SHOW

An uplifting and poignant tale of humanity and hope, set to many of Sting’s most iconic hits.

The peaceful village of Bebko erupts in celebration, until it’s suddenly attacked. Three siblings—Leto, Mati and Tana—are forced into dangerous journeys to survive. This captivating story unfolds as an uplifting, poignant exploration of displacement, immigration and hope, conveyed through high?energy footwork, exhilarating dance and breathtaking athleticism.

Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK present Message In A Bottle, a stunning dance?theatre production choreographed by triple Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince, set to the music of 17?time Grammy Award winner Sting.

Synopsis

Blending ZooNation’s signature dance storytelling with a catalogue of Sting classics including Every Breath You Take, Roxanne, Fields of Gold, Walking on the Moon, and more, Message In A Bottle also presents new arrangements from Alex?Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen) and delivers a narrative of resilience, unity and love in the face of global struggle.

Background

Message In A Bottle premiered at Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre in London in February 2020 to glowing reviews, marking a landmark collaboration between Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK.

Co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome and The Lowry, the production embarked on a major UK and international tour from May 2023, visiting venues across the UK and touring internationally to places such as Zurich, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sydney and Broadway, a ZooNation first.

In a milestone for dance theatre, the show was adapted into a feature-film version released to cinemas nationwide in May 2024 (UK via a Royal Ballet & Opera partnership, and U.S. broadcast via PBS Great Performances), and streamed from December 2024 on Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. Captured under BAFTA winning direction and filmed on a sound stage using six Arri-LF 4K cameras, the film creates an immersive experience of ZooNation’s choreography and Sting’s music for a worldwide audience.

ORIGINAL CAST LIST & STUDY PACK

Blistering... Boils over the stage

The Guardian

A triumph of effervescent dancing

Culture Whisper

Sets the stage alight

Metro

Pretty much irresistible

Daily Telegraph

This show is destined to be a big hit

Mail On Sunday

It is a triumph

Sunday Express

  • Director and Choreographer Kate Prince
  • Music and Lyrics Sting
  • Music Supervisor and New Arrangements Alex Lacamoire
  • Music Producer and Arranger Martin Terefe
  • Music Co-Producer and Mixer Oskar Winberg
  • Set Designer Ben Stones
  • Video Designer Andrzej Goulding
  • Costume Designer Anna Fleischle
  • Lighting Designer Natasha Chivers
  • Sound Designer David McEwan
  • Dramaturg Lolita Chakrabarti
  • Associate Choreographer Lukas McFarlane
  • Music Associate & Additional Arrangements D.J. Walde
  • Assistant Choreographers Tommy Franzen and Lizzie Gough

PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERY