Franz & Marie brings folk musical take on Woyzeck to Charing Cross
An unfinished German tragedy has arrived in London as a new folk musical. Franz & Marie, an adaptation of Georg Büchner's Woyzeck, has opened at Charing Cross Theatre.
The production puts Marie alongside Franz Woyzeck at the centre of the story. That shift gives a feminist twist to source material described by the venue as a classic German tragedy by Büchner Charing Cross Theatre.
The adaptation is by Teresa Howard. The music is by Rob Shepherd and Chris Broderick, with book and lyrics by Broderick WhatsOnStage.
Jade Oswald and Brenock O'Connor appear in the cast. They perform with a 14-strong actor-musician ensemble, meaning the cast play instruments live on stage. Eve Polycarpou performs the number "Beware, Beware".
The production is directed by Michael Oakley. Design is by Bretta Gerecke, choreography is by Ben Wright, lighting design is by Christopher Nairne, and sound design is by Andrew Johnson and Oscar Cotran. Arrangements, orchestrations and additional music are by Steven Edis, with fight choreography by Ronin Traynor.
The story is set in the world of late 19th-century European folklore. Franz and Marie share a baby named Georgie. They have not married because Franz was forbidden from taking leave during the war.
The show has a long history. It was originally commissioned two decades ago by Korean company Acom. It was created by key members of The Singing Loins, a Kentish underground cult band.
For anyone new to the story, this means familiar tragedy told through live folk song. The theatre calls it a unique and visceral musical. Listings describe its sound as soul-rattling Indie Raw Folk.
The musical keeps the dark humour and tragic intensity of the original. It explores class prejudice, toxic masculinity and social inequality Theatre Weekly.
The band plays live. Charing Cross Theatre hosts the official production page with more information. WhatsOnStage published its review on 6 October 2026.
