Get ready to be thirty, flirty and thriving...
The hit movie is coming to the Manchester stage next year!
The world premiere production of 13 GOING ON 30 - THE MUSICAL will open at Manchester Opera House for a limited season from 21 September 2025, following a workshop presentation at Battersea Arts Centre last year.
Based on the 2004 rom-com classic from Revolution Studios starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, the musical is penned by the film writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, with songs by Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary (First Date on Broadway, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+). Heathers’ Andy Fickman directs.
Jenna Rink is an adorably awkward 13-year-old girl who wishes she could skip over the misery of high school. When her birthday wish comes true, Jenna magically wakes up as an adult to find herself “thirty, flirty and thriving” as the editor of a fashion magazine with a seemingly perfect life. But as she gradually unravels the mystery of what kind of person she has become, she goes on a journey to work out what — and who — really matters.
Writers of both the film and the musical's book, Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa said,
“When we wrote the movie 13 Going on 30, we never dreamt that on the film’s 20th anniversary, we’d get the chance to see a whole new generation fall in love with Razzles. We were thrilled by the audience’s response to our workshop last year, and now we can’t wait to officially open in Manchester at the legendary Opera House — the launchpad of so many iconic musicals. Hope you have as much fun seeing the show as we had making it!”
Tickets on sale at 13:30 on Wednesday 13 November, with casting to be announced.