West End Frame: Photo Feature: Thriller Live & War Horse celebrate landmark West End performances

The West End productions of Thriller Live and War Horse both celebrated landmark West End performances this week. On Wednesday (22nd Jan) Kieran Alleyne became the first of Thriller Live's young West End MJs to return to the show and sing as the adult Michael Jackson.

Kieran, now a successful 18-year-old recording artist working in the UK and the US, returned to Thriller for one night only to celebrate the show’s 5th birthday and the start of its record-breaking 6th year at the Lyric Theatre where it holds the record as the longest ever run in the theatre’s 125-year history having completed over 2,000 performances.

Gary Lloyd (Director/Choreographer) said: "Kieran was amazing. He totally nailed it. He's definitely started a trend where our best youngsters come back to the show years later as adult singers. He always had a beautiful tone to his voice but it now totally suits these other songs."

Kieran was a shy 13-year-old Leicester schoolboy with no formal acting training when he was chosen in an open audition from thousands of young hopefuls for a starring role in the West End, singing the songs of the young Michael Jackson in Thriller Live.

Britt Quentin Kieran Alleyne Eshan Gopal Zoe Birkett

Kieran Alleyne and the Thriller Live company

Kieran Alleyne with current young MJ Eshan Gopal (left), Kieran Alleyne, Eshan Gopal and Zoe Birkett (right)

Ricardo Afonso, Zoe Birkett, Kieran Alleyne, Eshan Eshan, Gopal Haydon Eshum, David Jordan and Britt Quentin

Meanwhile, on Tuesday (21st Jan) The National Theatre’s production of War Horse celebrated its 2000th West End performance. The celebrations began with Joey, the equine star of War Horse, visiting the London Eye, where he enjoyed views across the capital including the National Theatre where he made his first appearance back in October 2007.

Michael Morpurgo said: “When I saw the first Preview of War Horse, a while ago now, l thought it unlikely it would run for 20 shows, let alone 2000, and I wasn't the only one. The pieces of the jigsaw were brilliant, extraordinary, the design, the script, the music, the costumes, everything; but they simply didn't fit together. Somehow, and I shall never know how, the directors, Tom Morris and Marianne Elliot waved their magic wands, with the help of Adrian Kholer and Basil Jones from the Handspring Puppet Company and all the pieces fell into place. 2000 performances later, this iconic show goes on, and has been seen now by millions.”

Now celebrating its seventh year on the London stage, Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse continues to play to sell-out houses at the New London Theatre. On Monday 27th January 2014 over 130,000 tickets will be released for sale as the production extends booking to 14th February 2015.