Casting announced for West End transfer of Tony-winning Once
Casting has been announced for the West End transfer of Tony award-winning musical Once, which opens at the Phoenix Theatre on 9 April 2013 (previews from 16 March).
Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitešić will lead the cast as Guy and Girl respectively in John Tiffany‘s production.
Bennett has appeared on Broadway in Rent and American Idiot, while Cvitešić has been a member of the Croatian National Theatre since 2005 and has won awards for her film work.
They’ll be joined in the cast by: Valda Aviks (Baruska), Ryan Fletcher (Svec), Aidan Kelly (Billy), Gareth O’Connor (Eamon), Michael
O’Connor (Da), Miria Parvin (Ex Girlfriend), Jos Slovick (Andre), Flora Spencer-Longhurst (Reza), Jez Unwin (Bank Manager)
and Gabriel Vick (Emcee).
Alternating the role of Girl’s young daughter Ivanka will be Poppy-Lily
Baker, Mia-Jai Bryan, Pacha Anna Green and Nancy Ann Jeans.
Once has book by award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda
Walsh (Disco Pigs, Misterman, The Walworth Farce). Based on the 2007 motion picture written and directed by John
Carney, music and lyrics are by Glen Hansard and
Markéta Irglová who won the Oscar for Best Original
Song for “Falling Slowly”.
Scenic and costume designs are by Bob Crowley, with lighting by
Natasha Katz, sound by Clive Goodwin, musical supervision and
orchestrations by Martin Lowe and movement by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch).
Once will play a short run at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin from
22 February – 9 March 2013 before moving to the West End, where it’s initially booking until 30 November 2013.
Once is a celebration of love, friendship and music. When an
Irish busker and a young Czech mother meet through a shared love of
music, their songwriting sparks a deep connection and a tender, longing
romance that neither of them could have expected.
The Broadway production, which won eight 2012 Tony awards including Best New Musical, continues at the Bernard B
Jacobs Theatre having opened in March last year. It will begin a US
national tour launched by The Road Company in the summer of 2013.
