Crawford Ends Woman in White Guessing Game???

In case you hadn’t already guessed, Michael Crawford definitely will not be returning to the villainous role of Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Woman in White at the Palace Theatre. Suffering from a reported virulent flu, Crawford has been absent under doctors’ orders since January. In February, Michael Ball stepped in as a high-profile replacement, extending his limited season by an additional month at the beginning of April. Nevertheless, up until last week, the box office was still reporting that Crawford might return for some performances this spring. A statement now published on the show website ends any such hopes. It states: “It is with great regret that it has been mutually agreed by Michael Crawford and the producers that he will not be returning to the London production of The Woman in White. Michael has been trying up until the last minute to achieve the energy levels needed to go back on stage, but although getting better on a daily basis, the role requires a lot more strength than he has available at the moment.” Ball remains with the show until 30 April, after which Anthony Andrews takes over (See News, 11 Apr 2005).

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