Cast: Wilkes Chicago, Sheen Fantine, Union FingsDate: 5 May 2011
Jonathan Wilkes will follow David Bedella into the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago, alongside Debbie Kurup who reprises the role of Velma Kelly. Both will appear at the Cambridge Theatre musical from 9 May 2011 for a limited seven-week season.
Wilkes was last seen in the West End as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. He Wilkes leaves the tour of We Will Rock You this week prior to starting his run on 9 May. in productions of We Will Rock You, The Wedding Singer, Guys and Dolls, Tommy, Grease, The Rocky Horror Show and Godspell. Debbie Kurup's most recent West End role in the original cast of Sister Act at the Palladium.
Sarah Soetaert continues to star as Roxie Hart with James Doherty as Amos Hart, Jasna Ivir as Mama Morton and R Whitehead as Mary Sunshine.
The current revival of Chicago opened at the Cambridge Theatre (where the musical’s original London production ran for 603 performances from April 1979) on 28 April 2006, after eight-and-a-half years at the Adelphi Theatre. It won the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production as well as the 1998 Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.
Kander and Ebb’s 1975 musical is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The current production, which transferred from Broadway, is directed by Walter Bobbie and designed by John Lee Beatty, with choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.
In other musical casting news Caroline Sheen will join Alfie Boe, Matt Lucas and Hadley Fraser playing Fantine in Les Miserables as a member of the musical's new company from 23 June.
Sheen has recently returned from touring the United States where she reprised her title role in Mary Poppins - she also played the super-nanny in the UK touring production. Sheen goes back to Les Miserables having played the role of Eponine in 2001.
Les Miserables had its world premiere at the Barbican on 8 October 1985. Based on Victor Hugo's classic humanitarian novel set in 19th-century revolutionary France, the musical has a book by Alain Boublil, music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.
After its premiere at the Barbican, the landmark Royal Shakespeare Company production, adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and designed by John Napier, transferred, care of Cameron Mackintosh, to the West End’s Palace Theatre where it ran for 18 years before moving down the road on 3 April 2004 to the Queen’s.
As part of Chichester Festival Theatre's summer season Michael Brandon, Sandra Dickinson and Katherine Kingsley have been confirmed to appear in Singin’ in the Rain, alongside the previously announced Adam Cooper, Daniel Crossley and Scarlett Strallen.
Directed by Chichester artistic director Jonathan Church the musical opens 5 July (previews from 27 June) playing a limited season through to 10 September 2011.
Michael Brandon originated the title role of the infamous talk show host in Jerry Springer - The Opera at the National Theatre and in the West End. His other theatre credits include Wet Weather Cover, On the Waterfront and Speed the Plow. His television credits include playing police detective James Dempsey in ITV's 1980s crime drama Dempsey and Makepeace.
Sandra Dickinson's credits include the BBC television series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Two Point Four Children, as well as the films Space Truckers, Supergirl and Superman III. Katherine Kingsley's Chichester credits include Hobson’s Choice in 2007. Elsewhere she has appeared in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Donmar Warehouse), Piaf (Donmar Warehouse and the West End), Aspects of Love (Menier Chocolate Factory), The 39 Steps (UK tour) and High Society (West End and UK tour).
Based on the famous 1952 MGM film Singin’ in the Rain is designed by Simon Higlett and choreographed by Andrew Wright.
Finally, full casting has been announced for the Union Theatre's revival of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be starring the previously reported Hannah-Jane Fox.
Lionel Bart and Frank Norman’s classic East End play with music, directed by Phil Willmott, runs at the Southwark venue from 13 May to 4 June 2011 (previews from 10 May).
The cast have been announced as: Ruth Alfie Adams, Patsy Blower, Ellie Rose Boswell, Suzie Chard, Hadrian Delacey, Robert Donald, Alison Dormer, Richard Foster-King, Natalie Harman, James Horne, ]Philip Marriott, Neil McCaul, Anna McNicholas, Keiley Hall, Jo Parsons, Ian Rixon, Philip Scutt, Amelia Whitwood.
Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be was premiered by Joan Littlewood at her famous Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. It then transferred to the West End’s Garrick Theatre, where it ran for 886 performances.
The new production is designed by Oliver Francis Townsend, choreographed by Nick Winston and lit by Jason Meininger. It has musical direction by Barney Ashworth with musical supervision and arrangements by Elliot Davis and A J Brinkman on double bass. It’s produced by Elliot Davis and Ellie Collyer Bristow.
- by Andrew Girvan
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