Heart DJ Toby Anstis Guest Stars as Grease Angel
Heart radio presenter Toby Anstis, who describes himself as “probably one of the world’s biggest fans of Grease”, will make his West End debut later this month playing Teen Angel in the rock ‘n’ roll musical at the Piccadilly Theatre. He’ll perform for a limited eight-week season, starting with the rest of the show’s new cast members, including Siobhan Dillon as Sandy, on 25 January 2010.
Toby Anstis presents the weekday mid-morning show, listened to by over 3.4 million people each week on Heart, the UK’s largest commercial radio network. His many TV presenting credits include The Ozone, Electric Circus, Live and Kicking, National Lottery Live, Britain’s Next Top Model, Dancing in the Streets and Children in Need. He also competed in the reality TV show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!.
Dillon plays Sandy opposite Hear’Say’s Noel Sullivan, who made his West End debut in November in Grease and continues in the role of Danny Zuko (See News, 20 Oct 2009). From 25 January, the new 2010 ‘class’ will also include: Matthew Goodgame (as Kenickie), Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Rizzo), Lucas Rush (Roger), Hayley Gallivan (Jan), Benjamin Ibbott (Doody), Faye Brookes (Frenchy), Bennett Andrews (Sonny), Robyn Mellor (Marty), Michael Vinsen (Eugene), Susannah Allman (Patty), Jason Capewell (Vince/Teen Angel), Kerry Winter (Miss Lynch) and Stephanie Powell (Cha Cha).
While now most famous from the 1979 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Grease began on stage, premiering on Broadway in 1972. The musical originally ran for six years in the West End, first at the Dominion and then at the Cambridge Theatre, returning to London for a short run back at the Dominion in 2001 and at the Victoria Palace in 2002/3. In between, it has toured the UK extensively.
Grease has book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It’s now-famous songs include “Summer Nights”, “Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee”, “We Go Together”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, “Beauty School Dropout”, “You’re the One That I Want”, “Greased Lightnin’” and “Grease Is the Word”.
