Cast announced for Xanadu at Southwark Playhouse

Casting has been announced for Southwark Playhouse's upcoming UK premiere production of Xanadu.

The show, adapted from the cult 1980s movie starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, will run from 16 October to 21 November 2015.

Carly Anderson, who is currently appearing in Sunny Afternoon, will star as Kira, a Greek muse who descends from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California, on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to open the first roller disco.

She'll be joined by Samuel Edwards, currently playing Fiyero on the national tour of Wicked, as Sonny, alongside recent Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Alison Jiear as Melpomene.

The cast also features Lizzy Connolly as Calliope, Micha Richardson as Erato, Joel Burman as Terpsicore, Nicholas Duncan as Thalia and Emily McGougan as Euterpe.

Xanadu has a book by Douglas Carter Beane (The Little Dog Laughed) and music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar.

The Southwark Playhouse production is directed by Paul Warwick Griffin and designed by Morgan Large, with choreography by Nathan M Wright.

The score includes "Magic", "Suddenly", "I'm Alive", "Evil Woman", "All Over the World" and the iconic title song.

Xanadu originally opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway in 2007 where it ran for over 500 performances, winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Best Book. It was also nominated for four Tony Awards.