Tony nominee Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody, The Greatest Showman) will lead the cast of the U.K. premiere of the new musical Fly More Than You Fall, set to play the Southwark Playhouse Elephant October 18-November 23 with an official opening October 23.

Fly More Than You Fall, which features a book and lyrics by Eric Holmes and music and lyrics by Nat Zegree, will be directed by Christian Durham. Additional casting will be announced.

The new musical follows Malia, whose mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer and her own life is thrown into turmoil. Malia finds solace and strength in her writing, creating a world where a brave bird named Willow mirrors her own journey of resilience and growth.

Settle, who will be seen as Miss Coddle in the film adaptation of Wicked later this year, said in a statement, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this beautifully uplifting story. It’s such a testament to the strength and compassion of the human spirit and the freedom that resides within us all."

The production will also have movement direction by Heather Douglas, orchestrations and arrangements by Daniel Edmonds, general management by James Steel Productions, and casting by Pearson Casting. Marc David Levine is the lead producer.

Co-creators Zegree and Holmes both lost a parent to cancer at an early age. Said the latter in a statement, “We created the show because we needed the show. Nat and I had been wanting to write about our experiences of losing our parents at a very young age. Anyone who’s lost someone knows that with grief, there’s no time limit. It’s not three months and you’re out. You’re grieving the loss of a parent or any loved one for the rest of your life.”

For ticket information click here.