LITTLE DANCER to Make West End Premiere Starring Tiler Peck

The new musical Little Dancer will receive its original West End production premiere at Theatre Royal Haymarket, London from Monday 15 February – Saturday 27 March 2027. Tickets are on sale now.

Directed and choreographed by Broadway legend, two-time Olivier and five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman (The Producers, Crazy for You, Contact, Oklahoma!), the production will star Emmy Award winning, Olivier nominated New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Tiler Peck* in rare London performances.

Peck is joined by Olivier Award nominees Julian Ovenden (High Society, Downton Abbey, South Pacific) as Edgar Degas, Laura Pitt-Pulford (Into the Woods,Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Seven Bridges for Seven Brothers) as Adult Marie and Josefina Gabrielle (High Society, Chicago, Les Misérables) as Martine.

Tiler Peck said: “I’m thrilled to bring Little Dancer to London alongside this incredible team and make my West End debut in a story that resonates so deeply with me. Many people know of the Little Dancer sculpture, but few know much about the girl, the muse, who inspired it. This show is about two determined artists willing to do anything for their craft, and it reveals a whole new side to Degas’ masterpiece. I cannot wait to bring the little dancer’s story to life in the beautiful, historic Theatre Royal Haymarket night after night.”

Julian Ovenden said: “I couldn’t be happier or more excited to be returning to the Theatre Royal Haymarket next spring with Little Dancer, this beautiful story inspired by Edgar Degas and his famous young dancer. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have written a deeply moving show about art, ambition and the lives of artists, and I’m thrilled to be part of bringing it to London. I also feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such extraordinary women at the very top of their game — Susan Stroman, Tiler Peck, Laura Pitt-Pulford and Josefina Gabrielle. It promises to be a very special experience.”

Susan Stroman added: ‘Little Dancer is a visually stunning and life-affirming piece of theater about the lives of women and the power of art. Just as Degas was inspired by Marie, Marie inspired me. She wanted to be a great dancer, and inadvertently, through art, became the most famous dancer in the world.”

Inspired by the real-life story behind Edgar Degas’ iconic sculpture, Little Dancer opened to rave reviews and sold-out runs in the US, in both Washington D.C and Seattle, as well as a sold-out run concert performance at London’s theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2025.

Little Dancer features the Olivier and Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens on book and lyrics with music by Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Anastasia, Once on This Island).

Lynn Ahrens said:  “What a rare thing–to discover an untold story of art, and then get to tell it with a world-class team of collaborators. We’re thrilled and honored to bring this production– and this extraordinary story–to the West End.”

Stephen Flaherty added: ‘Writing the music for Little Dancer has been the joy of a lifetime.  The music carries dancers through the air and lifts audiences long after the curtain comes down.  I can’t wait to share the magical world of our show in this historic theater this coming spring.”

You may not know her name. But you know her. Marie van Goethem has stood in the same fourth position for over a century: arms behind her back, chin lifted, gaze fixed beyond the frame. She was fourteen. She was poor. She was extraordinary. And she refused to be forgotten.

Little Dancer is the story of a girl with impossible dreams and the man who immortalised her, Edgar Degas. Two people bound together by art, ambition and the ache of wanting to matter. Set against the dazzling, dangerous world of Belle Epoque Paris, where beauty and brutality existed side by side, it asks the question we all carry: Do we shape our destiny, or does it shape us?

Tiler Peck is celebrated as one of today’s greatest American ballerinas, distinguished as a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, an Olivier-nominated choreographer, and multifaceted artist. She curated the inaugural Artists at the Center for New York City Center, which evolved into the acclaimed Turn it Out with Tiler Peck and Friends, earning an Oliver Award nomination and 2 National UK Dance Awards. She has choreographed for major ballet companies, with her recent works for NYCB being Concerto For Two Pianos and Symphonie Espagnole. Most recently, she was named the first Choreographic Associate for NYCB, making her the first woman in the company’s history to hold a choreographic title.

Peck has made significant contributions to film and television, choreographing for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and appearing in Netflix’s Tiny Pretty Things, Hulu’s Ballet NOW, Prime Video’s Etoile, and her Emmy-winning documentary with PBS’ Great Performances Tiler Peck: Suspending Time. Her achievements have earned her the Princess Grace Statue Award, The Dance Magazine Award, the Jacob’s Pillow Award, and recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. Tiler is the author of the children’s series, Katarina Ballerina, and her new book “XO, Ballerina Big Sis” published October 2025.

The full creative team includes Tony Award winners: Set Design by Beowulf Boritt, Lighting Design by Ken Billington, Costume Design by William Ivey Long, Sound Design by Kai Harada and Casting by Jill Green Casting, CDG. Orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Larry Hochman, Music Supervision and Dance Arrangements by Sam Davis.

Little Dancer is produced by Anita Waxman (Lead Producer), Jana Shea, Patricia R. Klausner / Sharon A. Carr, Iwan Lewis (UK Executive Producer), Emily Blavatnik, and Danny Cohen with general management by Short Street Productions Ltd.

Anita Waxman said: “I’ve believed in Little Dancer from its earliest beginnings, and following its journey through the Kennedy Center to the West End has been an extraordinary privilege. My heartfelt thanks go to our wonderful creative team, our exceptional cast and my fellow producers, whose passion has brought us to this moment. We’ve always had big ambitions for this beautiful show, and London is just the beginning. We can’t wait to take Little Dancer to the world.”

Emily Blavatnik said: ‘I’m delighted to be supporting the work of Tiler Peck. She is the most talented dancer of the century and I’m always thrilled to work with her.’