Cabaret Casting Latest: James Dreyfus???
Date: 18 July 2006
Given that
Rhys Ifans will now be appearing at the Donmar Warehouse in Patrick Marber’s
Don Juan in Soho from December to February (See
News, 14 Jul 2006), he’s pretty much ruled out of the running for the camp emcee in the upcoming West End revival of Kander and Ebb musical
Cabaret (See
The Goss, 11 Jul 2006), which opens on 10 October 2006 (previews from 22 September) at the Lyric Theatre (See
News, 13 Jun 2006). However, a new name has been added to the list of possibilities:
James Dreyfus. Currently starring in Michael Frayn’s
Donkeys' Years at the Comedy, Dreyfus’ previous musical credits include
Lady in the Dark (for which he won an Olivier) and
The Producers (in which he created the London role of Carmen Ghia). He’s best known for his screen work in the likes of
Gimme Gimme Gimme, The Thin Blue Line, Absolutely Fabulous, Notting Hill and
Colour Me Kubrick. Meanwhile, things seem to be getting down to the wire concerning Sally Bowles, with the previously tipped
Anna Maxwell Martin now the hot favourite (See
The Goss, 11 Jul 2006). Maxwell Martin is best known for her heavy-hitting play credits including
His Dark Materials, The Coast of Utopia, Three Sisters, Dumb Show and
Honour as well as TV’s
Bleak House. Other names mentioned to date in connection with
Rufus Norris’ revival of the Nazi Germany-set musical have included
Star Wars’ Natalie Portman,
Dr Who’s Billie Piper,
Denise Van Outen,
Martine McCutcheon and, improbably, cross-dresser
Eddie Izzard for Sally and
Sheila Hancock for the part of her hard-bitten landlady Fraulein Schneider (See
The Goss, 26 Jun 2006).
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