Ray Quinn in Grease
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Cast: Wicked Kelly, Quinn’s Grease, Never Forget

Alexia Khadime will return to the starring role of Elphaba in Wicked at the West End’s Apollo Victoria theatre from 11 May 2009, taking over again from Whatsonstage.com Award winner Kerry Ellis, for whom she filled in for six months last year while Ellis made her Broadway debut in the musical’s New York production (See News, 2 Apr 2008).

At the same time, Sam Kelly and Natalie Anderson will join the cast as, respectively, The Wizard and Nessarose, succeeding Desmond Barrit and Caroline Keiff. Kelly is a familiar screen face from TV classics Porridge, On the Up and ’Allo, ‘Allo. His many stage credits include The Female of the Species, Kean, Aladdin and the musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and HMS Pinafore. Anderson is best known Nurse Stella Davenport in TV's The Royal, a role she has played since 2004.

Amongst the rest of the company, Dianne Pilkington (Glinda), Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero) and Harriet Thorpe (Madame Morrible) have all extended their contracts. Current ensemble members Alex Jessop and David Stoller will take over the roles of Boq and Doctor Dillamond.

Opened on Broadway in 2003, Wicked received its London premiere in September 2006 and has since been seen by nearly two million theatregoers, taking £70 million at the box office to date. In 2007, the show also won four Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards including Best New Musical, while last year, current Elphaba Kerry Ellis won Best Takeover in a Role.

Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and is directed by Joe Mantello. The musical is based on the book Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The London production is now extended its booking period until 3 April 2010.

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