Theatre News

Full casting announced for Follies at the National Theatre

Zizi Strallen and Leisha Mollyneaux will join Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton

Zizi Strallen
Zizi Strallen
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Zizi Strallen will join Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton in the cast of Follies when it opens at the National Theatre later this year.

Strallen will play a younger version of Dee's character Phyllis in Stephen Sondheim's musical while Leisha Mollyneaux also joins the cast as a younger Stella, who will also played by Dawn Hope. Emily Langham will play a younger version of Tracie Bennett's character Carlotta.

The musical, which has a book by James Goldman, is set in '70s New York and follows the reunion of the Follie girls in a crumbling Broadway theatre which is scheduled for demolition.

The full cast also includes Julie Armstrong, Norma Attallah, Josephine Barstow , Jeremy Batt, Di Botcher, Billy Boyle, Anouska Eaton, Liz Ewing, Geraldine Fitzgerald , Peter Forbes, Emily Goodenough , Bruce Graham, Adrian Grove, Fred Haig , Aimee Hodnett, Liz Izen, Alison Langer, Emily Langham, Sarah-Marie Maxwell, Ian McLarnon, Gemma Page, Kate Parr, Philip Quast, Edwin Ray, Gary Raymond, Adam Rhys-Charles, Jordan Shaw, Barnaby Thompson, Christine Tucker, Michael Vinsen and Alex Young.

Directed by Dominic Cooke, the musical will feature an orchestra of 21 and includes songs such as "Losing My Mind", "I'm Still Here" and "Could I Leave You?".

Follies will open at the National Theatre on 6 September, with previews from 22 August.