Theatre News

Casting announced for The Color Purple concert

The musical will play one night at Cadogan Hall

Tyrone Huntley, Wendy Mae Brown and Hugh Maynard
Tyrone Huntley, Wendy Mae Brown and Hugh Maynard
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Marisha Wallace, currently the alternate Effie in Dreamgirls, is to play Celie in a performance of The Color Purple at Cadogan Hall in May.

She'll be joined by Wendy Mae Brown (Ghost) as Sofia, Cavin Cornwall (Aladdin) as Mister, Tyrone Huntley (Dreamgirls) as Harpo, Rachel John (The Bodyguard) as Shug, Hugh Maynard (Miss Saigon) as Pa and Seyi Omooba (Junkard) as Nettie.

The Color Purple was last seen in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013, the production starred Cynthia Erivo as Celie and transferred to Broadway, where Erivo netted the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical.

Produced by Matthew Chandler and Danielle Tarento, The Color Purple will have musical direction by James Taylor, and choreography by Mykal Rand. Proceeds from the gala concert will go to the British Theatre Academy.

The 1930s-set family chronicle, adapted from Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, centres on black teenager Celie (Wallace) in racially divided southern America.

The Color Purple plays Cadogan Hall on Sunday 21 May.