Theatre News

Anything Goes revival at the Barbican – Gary Wilmot and Felicity Kendal join the cast

The show is set to run this summer

| London |

22 January 2021

Gary Wilmot and Fenella Woolgar — Gary Wilmot and Felicity Kendal
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Further casting has been revealed for the upcoming Anything Goes revival at the Barbican.

Gary Wilmot (The Prince of Egypt) will take on the role of Elisha Witney, alongside Felicity Kendal ((The Good Life) as Evangeline Harcourt. The pair join Kathleen Marshall's new production, which will be led by Megan Mullally and Robert Lindsay.

Cole Porter and PG Wodehouse's hit musical is set on the SS Americana and follows two pairings that try to find love on the high seas. It features numbers such as "I Get A Kick Out of You", "You're the Top", "It's De- Lovely!" and "Anything Goes".

Kendal said: "It's wonderful to be joining this classic joyous show after the past terrible year of loss and lockdown. We need to connect together again in our theatres and there is nothing quite like the thrill of a live audience experiencing a great show. I am sure that this is a perfect moment for this glorious, funny and uplifting musical and cannot wait to get started."

Wilmot adds: "Anything Goes is such a joyous musical and I'm thrilled to be joining the incredible cast for this wonderful revival. I look forward to being back on stage in London for some real toe-tapping fun!"

Anything Goes first debuted on Broadway in 1934, before sailing across the Atlantic to the West End where it opened the folllowing year. It has been revived on a plethora of occasions since, with the likes of Elaine Paige, Bernard Cribbins, Caroline O'Connor, Sutton Foster and Joel Grey attached. A UK tour of the Sheffield Theatres production ran in 2015, with Debbie Kurup and Matt Rawle in the cast.

It has twice been adapted for the big screen, and twice won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival – in both 1988 and 2011.

Marshall directed and choreographed the 2011 revival and will once more return to helm a brand new version of the show. Joining her on the creative team will be set designer Derek McLane, lighting designer Neil Austin, sound designer Simon Baker and musical supervisor Stephen Ridley.

The show has shuffled its dates back slightly, and is now set to run from 5 June to 22 August 2021. Tickets are on sale now.