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1st Night TV: La Cage Welcomes Allam & Quast

| London's West End |

14 May 2009

The West End run of La Cage aux Folles welcomed two new cast members this week (12 May 2009) – well, one new cast member and the return of a past acquaintance. Roger Allam has taken over from Graham Norton as Albin (the role that recently won Douglas Hodge an Olivier Award), while Philip Quast returns as Georges, having played the role when the production was first seen at the Menier Chocolate Factory last January.

Terry Johnson‘s revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical ran at the 150-seat Chocolate Factory, with Hodge and Quast, from 9 January to 8 March 2008 (previews from 27 November 2007), before transferring to its current home the Playhouse on 30 October 2008 (previews from 20 October).

Along with our photographer (See 1st Night Photos, 12 May 2009), our TV partners at Reelkandi were at the Playhouse on Tuesday to chat to Roger Allam and Philip Quast about their roles in the multi award winning show.

This year, in addition to two Oliviers (the second for Best Musical Revival), La Cage aux Folles has won two Whatsonstage.com Awards and the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical.

It has a book by Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy) and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, whose other classics include Hello Dolly!, Mame and Mack and Mabel. The score features songs including “I Am What I Am”, “The Best of Times”, “Song on the Sand”, “Masculinity” and the title number.

– by Theo Bosanquet