Cast: Henshall Back in Chicago, Toksvig Cracker

Henshall, who originated the role in the West End in 1997, will be away from 28 December 2009 to 2 January 2010, during which time she’ll be replaced by fellow returnee Bonnie Langford, who was the first to play Roxie at the Cambridge three years ago and is fresh from playing the role on Broadway.

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.

Henshall, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for her role as Roxie, will be joined by Terra C MacLeod making her London stage debut as Velma Kelly (the role Henshall herself played during a three-month stint in 2003). MacLeod originated the role in the French productions of Chicago, which have been staged in Montreal and in Paris. Ian Kelsey and David Ganly star as Billy Flynn and Amos Hart.

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.

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An array of special guests including Maria Friedman, Sarah Connolly, Denise Van Outen, Barb Jungr and Clive Rowe, Stephen Mangan, John Humphrys, Fiona Shaw, Jon Snow, Pete Firman and Lionel Blair will be appearing in Sandi Toksvig’s Christmas Cracker, a family variety show which runs at the Royal Festival Hall from 15 to 24 December 2009.

Hosted by ‘queen of the quips’ Toksvig and ‘light entertainment colussus’ Ronnie Corbett, each night features a different line-up of guests singing songs and performing Toksvig’s take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Jude Kelly, Artistic Director at Southbank Centre, said: “From Shirley Bassey’s glittering shows in the late 1990s to Jarvis Cocker’s all-star takes on Disney classics in 2007, the Royal Festival Hall has always had a touch of the Music Hall about it. Sandi Toksvig’s Christmas Cracker is an un-ironic and unashamedly traditional celebration of all that’s best about Christmas, proving that Music Hall-style entertainment is alive and kicking in the 21st Century.”

For a full schedule of perfrmances, see www.southbankcentre.co.uk