Theatre News

Casting announced for UK tour of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang

Jason Manford and Lee Mead will share the role of Caractacus Potts

| London | London's West End | Off-West End |

16 October 2015

Jason Manford, Michelle Collins, Phill Jupitus and Lee Mead
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Casting has been announced for the new production of the Sherman Brothers' musical Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang which is set to embark on a UK & Ireland tour beginning at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on 10 February 2016.

Jason Manford (The Producers, Sweeney Todd) will play Caractacus Potts from 10 February until 24 April, returning to the show from 5 October 2016. Lee Mead (Casualty, Legally Blonde, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) will play Caractacus Potts from 4 May until 18 September 2016.

Martin Kemp (EastEnders, The Krays) will play the Childcatcher and Amy Griffiths (Everyman, Stephen Ward, The Pajama Game) will play Truly Scrumptious, both until 24 April 2016.

The production will also feature Phill Jupitus (The Producers, Hairspray) as Lord Scrumptious/Baron Bomburst until 24 April 2016, Michelle Collins (EastEnders, Coronation Street) as Baroness Bomburst, and Andy Hockley (The Phantom Of The Opera) as Grandpa Potts.

The cast is completed by Ewen Cummins (The Toymaker/Mr Coggins), Sam Harrison (Boris), Scott Paige (Goran), Kathryn Barnes, Rosanna Bates, Alex Louize Bird, Abigail Climer, Jade Davies, Matt Gillett, Ewan Gillies, Joanna Goodwin, Nathan Vaughan Harris, Christopher D Hunt, Paul Iveson, Nia Jermin, Kelsie-Rae Marshall, Mollie Melia-Redgrave, Perry O’Dea, Matt Overfield, Ross Russell, Craig Turner and Robert Wilkes.

The new production of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang – which has music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Slipper and the Rose, The Aristocats and The Jungle Book) – will be directed by James Brining, with new choreography by Stephen Mear and musical supervision by Stephen Ridley.

Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang opens with a previously announced cast at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds on 2 December for a nine-week season finishing on 30 January 2016 prior to the new cast starting the UK and Ireland Tour.