West Side Story full cast announced at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
© Richard Davenport of The Other Richard
The full cast for West Side Story at the Royal Exchange, Manchester has been announced.
Alongside the previously announced leads Gabriella García and Andy Coxon – who will return to star as Maria and Tony in the production – the musical will include Cleve September (Riff), Ellena Vincent (Anita), Fernando Mariano (Bernado), Femi Akinfolarin (A-rab), Hannah Cadec (Graziella), David Crellin (Doc/Krupke), Kit Esuruoso (Big Deal), Leslie Garcia Bowman (Snowboy), Sergio Giacomelli (Indio), Patrick Harper (Pepe), Leah Hill (Velma), Ruby-May Martinwood (Francisca), Eddie Myles (Chino), Peter Nash (Diesel), Melissa Rose (Consuela), Ellie Seaton (Rosalia), Bethany Terry (Anybodys), Oliver Tester (Action), Ivano Turco (Baby John) and Tim Walton (Schrank/Glad Hand).
Sarah Frankcom's reimagining has choreography by Aletta Collins, musical direction by Tim Jackson, musical supervision and orchestration by Jason Carr, design by Anna Fleischle, lighting design by Lee Curran, sound design by Richard Brooker, costume design by Polly Sullivan, fight direction by Kevin McCurdy, associate direction by Atri Banerjee, associate choreography by Gareth Mole, dialect coaching by Natalie Grady and casting by Jim Arnold.
The musical is based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
The production returns to the Manchester venue after its run in 2019, where WhatsOnStage gave it four stars and commented that director Frankcom's revival had "a relevant message for the dislocated British youth of today."
West Side Story will play at the Royal Exchange from 18 April to 23 May, with a press night on 22 April.
