Cast: Phillips, Thorpe & Rawle in Cabaret, new Phantom

Sian Phillips’ recent theatre credits include Lovesong, Calendar Girls and Juliet and Her Romeo. Her screen work includes her BAFTA-winning role in I, Claudius as well as appearances in acclaimed films including Goodbye Mr Chips, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Dune.

Harriet Thorpe has been nominated for Whatsonstage.com Awards for her performances in Brighton Rock and Crazy For You. Her other theatre credits include Wicked and Mamma Mia!, and she was in the original revival cast of Norris’ production of Cabaret in 2006, playing Fraulein Kost.

Matt Rawle has been nominated for Whatsonstage.com Awards for his performances in Evita and Zorro. His other theatre credits include Martin Guerre and Pippin.

Linal Haft is known for a wide range of screen appearances, from The Sweeney and Birth of the Beatles to Moulin Rouge! and more recently as Harry Gold in EastEnders.

Nicholas Tizzard completes the cast playing Ernst, with an ensemble including: John Brannoch; Jessica Ellen; Allessia Lugoboni; Edd Mitton; Ian Parsons; Nuno Silva; Rebecca Sutherland; Shahla Tarrant; Laura Tyrer; Cydney Uffindell-Phillips and Matthew Wesley.

Based on the stories of Christopher Isherwood and the play by John Van Druten, Cabaret has a book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It premiered on Broadway in 1966 and in 1972 was made into an Oscar-winning film starring Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles, Michael York as Cliff and Joel Grey as the Emcee.

Norris’ Olivier Award-winning production originally opened at the West End’s Lyric Theatre in October 2006 with James Dreyfus as the Emcee and Anna Maxwell Martin as Sally, who was later succeeded by Kim Medcalf. The production, which is choreographed by Javier de Frutos, will play a four-week UK tour before opening at the Savoy on 3 October.

In other musical casting news, Marcus Lovett, Simon Thomas, Anna O’Byrne and Lara Martins will be joining The Phantom of the Opera‘s West End cast from 3 September 2012.

Lovett, who takes over the title role from Peter Joback, made his Broadway debut in the original US production of Les Misérables, and his other credits include Whistle Down The Wind at the Aldwych theatre.

Thomas, who will play Raoul, was last seen in the West End in Legally Blonde The Musical and has also appeared in the Olivier Award-winning production of Into The Woods at the Regent’s Park Open Air theatre.

O’Byrne made her professional debut in Phantom in Australia, and has also appeared in Love Never Dies. Phantom, in which she’ll alternate the role of Christine with Sofia Escobar, will mark her West End debut.

Martins, who plays Carlotta, returns to the London stage following her performance in pantomime Dick Whittington And His Cat at the Bloomsbury theatre.

The winner of more than 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, The Phantom of the Opera will celebrate its 26th anniversary in the West End later this year, and is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

– Rosie Bannister