Cast announced for Graeae's Reasons to be Cheerful

Disabled-led theatre company Graeae have announced the cast for the return of their production of punk musical Reasons to be Cheerful.

Part-gig, part-play, Paul Sirett's musical is a coming-of-age tale set to the music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. It first toured in 2010 and returned in 2012, and will tour one final time this autumn.

Jenny Sealey will direct the cast, which Stephen Lloyd, Stephen Collins, Dan McGowan, Dan McGowan, Wayne ‘Pickles’ Norman and Jude Mahon will all reprise their roles from the previous tours.

Joining the cast will be Beth Hinton-Lever (who makes her Graeae debut), Gerard McDermott (Blood Wedding), Joey Hickman (The Threepenny Opera) and Max Runham (Tommy).

The live band will consist of Sirett, Nixon Rosembert and Paula Stanbridge-Faircloth.

"Spasticus Autisticus", the Ian Drury song which features in the show, was performed at the 2012 Paralympic Games opening ceremony despite being banned by the BBC in 1981.

The production will open at the the Belgrade in Coventry on 8 September before touring to Derby, Southampton, Ipswich, Leeds, Liverpool and ending at Theatre Royal, Stratford East. Mat Fraser, currently starring in Richard III, featured in the original cast of the 2010 tour.

Reasons to be Cheerful will open in Coventry on 8 September before embarking on a UK tour.