Emma Rice's Malory Towers to return for new national tour

Emma Rice's musical adaptation of Enid Blyton's Malory Towers will embark on a national tour with a London run at the Southbank Centre, it was announced today.

The show is based on the series of six children's novels by Blyton and takes place at Malory Towers school, where new kid Darrell Rivers meets fellow students Gwendoline Lacey and Sally Hope as she attempts to save the school play.

This production will star Rosie Abraham as Sally Hope, Alison Arnopp as Gwendoline Lacey, Georgia Bruce as Bill Robinson, Mirabelle Gremaud as Irene Dupont, Bobbie Little as Alicia Johns, Naomi Morris as Mary Lou Atkinson and Alice Vilanculo as Darrell Rivers, with Katy Ellis and Stephanie Hockley.

Directed by Rice, the show has set and costume design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Malcolm Rippeth, sound and video by Simon Baker and original music by Ian Ross.

Malory Towers will open on 27 March at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, before running in Salford, Nottingham, Bath, Cheltenham, Eastbourne, Malvern, Norwich, Chester, Birmingham, Canterbury and Sheffield. The musical will end at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre with a run from 27 July to 31 August and press nights on 31 July, 1 and 2 August.