The Tony Award-winning musical comedy, Shucked, which is making its much-anticipated London debut at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre this month following its Broadway and US tour.
The show features a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn, a score by the Grammy Award-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally and is directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien.
With the show in previews ahead of its official opening night next week, we caught up with cast member Gleanne Purcell-Brown to find out more.
Q&A with Gleanne Purcell-Brown
What can you tell us about Shucked?
Shucked is about a “small town, naive” girl who leaves her hometown ‘Cob County’ to find help when the Corn start to die. But ultimately it’s a story about self discovery, empowerment, family, love, community and hope. It’ll have you laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next.
How does it feel to be part of the company bringing the play to London and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre?
It honestly feels pretty magical to be part of the team bringing this joyful, silly, and genuinely heartwarming show to London. I’m so excited for audiences to finally see it. Working with the creatives and the team who’ve been working on this for 10+ years has been amazing—you can really feel how much they love the show. At the same time, we’ve been given space to make it our own and build our own characters, which has made the whole process really really fun.
How do you approach playing an ensemble role in a show like this?
Because the show is all about community, that’s exactly how we’ve approached it as an ensemble—by truly working as a team. We support each other, hold space for one another, and share the highs and lows together—laughing, crying, and everything in between. There’s a real sense that everyone plays an important role, and without each other, the whole thing just wouldn’t work.
Do you have to adapt when performing in an open air theatre like this?
This is my first time performing in an open-air theatre, and I’m really excited to see how we’ll need to adapt compared to working indoors—it’s all completely new to me. There are so many variables to consider: the weather (rain or shine), Mother Nature, animals and insects, maybe even the occasional plane flying overhead! But with the themes and context of this show, it actually feels like the perfect setting. It adds something really special and alive to the whole experience.
How do you think audiences will react to the show?
I think audiences are really going to love this show. It’s such a joyful experience— It feels fresh, uplifting, and genuinely needed right now. There’s so much heart and silliness in it, and I think people will leave feeling that little bit more whole!
Shucked is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London, until 14 June 2025
