Zambezi Express

Zambezi Express is a musical, but not as we know it. Pounding, multilayered African beats and powerful acapella vocals, a wildly dynamic, 30-strong company which throws heart and soul into a dizzyingly high energy succession of jumping, jiving, acrobatic dance numbers to illuminate Zilli's amazing narrative. As Zilli battles against the dangers of the big city, and seeks to carve out a future as a football star, he becomes embroiled in a desperate ancestral fight. Its 90 minutes of edge-of-the-seat action from kick off to final whistle, which reaches a triumphant resolution with only seconds to spare.

The story of the show's genesis has as many dramatic twists and turns as the Zambezi Express' journey itself. It is undoubtedly The Happiest Show on earth.

The Zambezi Express is one of the great steam railway journeys of the world, which threads its way over many days across the mountains, deserts and plains of Africa for thousands of miles. For a boy named Zilli, born in the slums of a mining township in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, it offers hope, escape, and a journey to fulfil a footballing dream in the big city.

This is the tale that underpins Zambezi Express, an extraordinary, pulsating new show which has its roots in the heart of Africa, which strangely grew to maturity beside a cave complex in the depths of the Somerset hills, and debuted at this years Glastonbury & Womad festivals.

This is a stage musical as never conceived before, spawned in and this is the beautiful game as it's never been seen before. This piece of theatre is clearly is in a league of its own.

Zambezi Express is at the Hackney Empire from 20 to 28 October, 2009.

Address: Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Box office: 020 8985 2424