Footloose UK tour full cast announced including Darren Day and Gareth Gates

Full casting has been announced for the upcoming tour of Footloose.

The new tour will be opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre on the 24 April, before visiting Birmingham, Derby, Barnstaple, Sunderland, Llandudno, Aberdeen, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Malvern, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Plymouth, Bournemouth, Oxford, Bradford, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Manchester, Skegness, Cardiff, Woking and Stoke.

Playing Reverend Moore in the tour will be Darren Day (Summer Holiday), who will be joined by the previously announced Gareth Gates for all dates until 26 September except 24 and 25 March, 29 to 6 April, 5 to 9 May, 13 to 17 May, 6 to 12 June and 10 to 15 August.

Also appearing in the show will be Geri Allen, Holly Ashton, Jess Barker, Ben Barrow, Alex Fobbester, Josh Hawkins, Lucy Ireland. Evie Rose Lane, Ben Mabberley, Daniel Miles, Tom Mussell, Samantha Richards, Dionne Ward Anderson and Anna Westlake.

Based on the 1980s film of the same name about a city where dancing and rock music are banned, the musical is directed by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland and design by Sara Perk. It features numbers including "Holding Out for a Hero", "Almost Paradise" and "Footloose".

Day said: "I'm truly happy and excited to be a part of this brilliant production. I was a teenager in the '80s, which is such an impressionable age for movies and music. This is one of the most iconic films and soundtracks from my teenage years. I can remember hearing "Footloose" on the radio for the first time and thinking… what a tune!"