LONDON, UK. September 14th, 2026: West End favourite Kerry Ellis is joining an acclaimed ensemble of musical theatre performers for Following Jimmy Valentine, a new audio production that aims to bring the scale, drama and emotion of a musical directly to listeners through an immersive, screen-free experience.
The audiobook blends cinematic storytelling, original music and powerhouse vocal performances to create a format that sits between a traditional audiobook, radio drama and fully realised musical.
Kerry Ellis, one of the West End’s best-known musical theatre performers, has described her involvement in the project as a “dream come true”. Her extensive West End and Broadway credits include acclaimed productions such as My Fair Lady, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables and Wicked.
The 47-year-old, from Suffolk, said: “I remember as a child growing up, I had audiobooks on cassette and I had The Snow Queen, which I would listen to over and over again. It wasn’t a musical, but it was an audiobook and I fell in love with it. It was the magic of being transported by this audio story.
“You could place all the characters and I loved every second of it. So when something full circle comes around and you get to be a part of something like that, years later, it’s a bit like a dream come true.”
Alongside Kerry, the production features Hadley Fraser, David Hunter, Celinde Schoenmaker, George Blagden and acclaimed jazz vocalist Jacqui Dankworth. Together, the cast brings some of the UK’s leading musical theatre talent to a production that occupies the space between audiobook, radio drama and full-scale musical.
Created by New York composer, writer and performer Jeff Flaster, Following Jimmy Valentine has been described as “the book that sings”. Dialogue, songs, music and sound design are combined to create a cinematic listening experience designed to immerse audiences without the need for a screen.
The production is based on O. Henry’s classic story A Retrieved Reformation and centres on notorious jewel thief Jimmy Valentine, played by Hadley Fraser, as he attempts to leave his life of crime behind.
His plans for a fresh start are complicated by determined detective Jen Price, played by Kerry Ellis, who is closing in on him. His relationship with Annabel Adams, played by Celinde Schoenmaker, also gives Jimmy a reason to reconsider his past and embrace the possibility of a different future.
The story combines crime, romance, redemption and second chances with an original score influenced by jazz, classical music and classic rock.
Rather than taking O. Henry’s story and adapting it for the stage or screen, Flaster has created Following Jimmy Valentine specifically with modern listening habits in mind, allowing audiences to experience the story through headphones, smartphones and streaming platforms.
The production also has another unusual feature: it was recorded entirely remotely.
This approach raises an interesting question for the entertainment industry: could future musicals be developed specifically for listeners, rather than audiences watching from a theatre seat or screen?
Creator and writer Jeff Flaster described the project as a passion-led reimagining of musical storytelling. He said: “I wanted to create something where the boundary between speech and song disappears completely, where the listener doesn’t just hear the story, but experiences it as a living, breathing musical world.”
Flaster, a New York-born composer and former MIT chorale performer, took inspiration from classic literature alongside his long-standing interest in musicals driven by strong narratives.
The project is designed to push the boundaries of what an audiobook can be, combining the storytelling of a book with the performance, music and soundscape of a musical.
Flaster added: “This isn’t just a narrated musical. It’s a fully staged performance without a stage. Every sound is intentional, every moment is composed.”
