Moulin Rouge! confirms new West End opening night

The West End production of Moulin Rouge! has confirmed its January opening night.

The eagerly anticipated UK transfer of the Broadway musical has already been wowing audiences since November, but following the turbulence of the last few weeks with cast illnesses across the nation, has been forced to amend its official opening plans.

The production has now set an opening for 20 January, which is when press will reveal their verdicts. The show was recently nominated for seven WhatsOnStage Awards including Best New Musical, and continues its run at the Piccadilly Theatre. (Performances before 20 January will continue as planned).

You can expect a variety of WhatsOnStage coverage around the opening and in the run-up to the evening. We also have video interviews with the show principals to present in the coming days.

The film version of Moulin Rouge!, about a bohemian writer who falls for a courtesan in Paris, premiered in 2001, starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. At the 74th Academy Awards it was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two.

The cast for the West End production is led by Liisi LaFontaine (Dreamgirls) as Satine, Jamie Bogyo (making his West End debut) as Christian and Clive Carter (Come From Away) as Harold Zidler.

The principal casting also features Simon Bailey (Heathers) as The Duke, Jason Pennycooke (WhatsOnStage Award-winner for Hamilton) and Elia Lo Tauro (On Your Feet) as the Bohemians Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago.

The club's famed entertainers known as the ‘Lady Ms' are played by Sophie Carmen Jones as Nini, Zoe Birkett as Arabia, Jonny Bishop as Baby Doll and Timmika Ramsay as La Chocolat.

The full company is completed by Femi Akinfolarin, Robson Broad, Ian Carlyle, Jonathan Cordin, Anthony Cragg, Katie Ella Dunsden, Adam Gillian, Luke Jackson, Alicia Mencía, Ciro Lourencio Meulens, Georgia Morgan, Melissa Nettleford, Ian Oswald, Craig Ryder, Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, Katie Singh, Ope Sowande, Tanisha Spring, Toyan Thomas-Browne, Amy Thornton, Misty May Tindall, Jon Tsouras, Tommy Wade-Smith and Lily Wang.

Directed by Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! has a book by John Logan, choreography by Sonya Tayeh, and music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Justin Levine. The design team includes Derek McLane (sets), Catherine Zuber (costumes), Justin Townsend (lighting), Peter Hylenski (sound), David Brian Brown (wig and hair design), and Sarah Cimino (make-up design). Casting is by Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher CDG.