JACK, by Musketeer Productions, reimagines the cult story of the most notorious serial killer in British history. Shining a light particularly on the mistreatment of women and the brutality of the Ripper murders, the show carries a dark, punky aesthetic with a striking score and a vivid story. This new musical by Oxford graduates Sahar Malaika and Samuel Phillips had a sellout run in Oxford early last year, as well as at the Edinburgh Fringe festival last summer, and is set to come to the Courtyard Theatre in London on 5th January.
The musical takes place in London, 1888, a city thrown into panic by the recent murders of prostitutes in Whitechapel, attributed to Jack the Ripper. The play follows his final victim, Mary Kelly, days before her death, as she gets caught up in the investigation. Sitting down with cast members Liv Russell (Mary Ann Nichols), Sorcha Ní Mheachair (Nell), and newcomer Cameron Maiklem (Aloysius Howell), I asked them what they found so appealing about the play, and what’s in store for audiences in London.
Cherwell: Can you describe JACK in three words to start us off?
Maiklem: Dark, revealing, gripping.
Russell: Compelling, exhilarating, eye-catching.
Cherwell: How has JACK evolved since its first Oxford showing, and what can we expect to see in London?
Mheachair: The show has really focused its message. The heart of this piece has always been giving a voice to the women who were killed and exploring themes of misogyny in the time period. Fans should be excited to see new angles being explored, like the manipulation of women’s stories by men in the press, not just the police. As well as some more solo content for each of the ‘Unfortunates’.
Cherwell: Introduce your character to us.
Maiklem: Howell is, simply put, slimy. He sees people as players not individuals, characters he can manipulate and repaint to tell his own compelling, yet usually inaccurate, narrative in the papers. While he is not a murderer, he certainly exhibits all the traits of a villain you love to hate.
Mheachair: Nell is a complex character. She’s invented for the stage but based on many real women who did stay with Mary Kelly in her flat. Nell is a former prostitute who has fallen in love with Mary and is both grateful for the shelter and comfort Mary offers her, while still being hesitant and untrusting of the idea of relying on someone else. Nell’s life has not been her own and she has had to look out for herself since birth, making her own money the only way that was available to her, and throughout the play we see her struggle to let go of this need to protect herself by maintaining distance and independence.
Cherwell: What is your favourite moment or line in the play?
Russell: The song ‘To Catch a Ripper’. It is such a monumental part of the show – Rosie’s choreography is amazing and the effect of the whole cast singing bits of previous songs from the show gives rise to a really impressive number, as well as being a shocking and crucial plot point.
Maiklem: The chief’s line “piss off” (the most appropriate response to Aloysius Howell ever).
Mheachair: The word ‘unfortunate’ carries a lot of weight in this piece. It’s the title of the main theme and a blanket term to refer to the main characters of the show: the women. I really like when Howell (a slimy reporter) teases Alfie by comparing his failures to the low status of these women by taunting him at the end of an investigation: “Wrong again, sir, sorry. How unfortunate.”
Cherwell: How has the play shaped you as a performer?
Maiklem: This is my first time working on an original musical, so this journey has really developed my focus on characterisation in the early stages of rehearsal. I found conversations with the writer and directors, as well as sitting with the script myself, to be invaluable. It felt so refreshing to create my own character without the influence (whether conscious or not) of previous performers’ iterations.
Cherwell: What has been the most exciting aspect of this journey?
Russell: I just feel really lucky that I get to be a part of such an amazingly written, exciting new musical and also to be part of a team of such incredibly talented people that I am in awe of.
Maiklem: The most exciting aspect of this journey has been joining the team as both a new cast member and completely new character. It had felt like a huge responsibility but one that I have felt so lucky to bear. Roll on show week!
JACK runs from the 5th to the 11th January 2026 at The Courtyard Theatre, Pitfield St., N1 6EU.
