Chicago tour announces new lead casting – with Strictly favourite joining the musical

Chicago has announced new casting for its tour.

The iconic show follows Roxie, a woman who murders her lover but tries to escape the wrath of the law. The piece is the winner of six Tony Awards, and has played in 36 countries worldwide. Numbers in Kander and Ebb’s musical include “Razzle Dazzle”, “Cell Block Tango”, and “All That Jazz”.

From 3 March in Southend, the show will be led by TV favourite Janette Manrara as Roxie, joined by Djalenga Scott as Velma Kelly, alongside Joshua Lloyd as Amos Hart and Jordan Lee Davies as Mary Sunshine. Casting for Billy Flynn and Mama Morton to be announced soon.

Manrara (who will appear for all scheduled tour dates aside from Bristol and Canterbury) said today: “This is a dream come true! To have my musical theatre debut be playing the iconic Roxie Hart is so exciting. She is a beautifully complex character, and I cannot wait to bring my Roxie to the stage. I truly look forward to working with the incredible cast and the whole team of one of the best musicals of all time. Looking forward to seeing everyone that comes to the show and giving them a real ‘razzle dazzle’ of a show!”

The cast is completed by Bethany Adamson, Victoria Anderson, Josh Crowther, Joe Dale, Jessica Keable, Robin Kent, Annabelle Laing, Jacob McLay Reid, Jonathan Milton, George Olney, Oliver Ramsdale, Elly Shaw, Lucy Anne Stacey, Matthew Sweet and Ria Tanaka.

Current tour dates include Cheltenham Everyman (20 to 25 January), Sheffield Lyceum (28 January to 1 February), Edinburgh Playhouse (4 to 8 February), Liverpool Empire (10 to 15 February), Oxford New Theatre (24 February to 1 March), Southend Cliffs Pavilion (3 to 8 March), Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin (11 to 15 March), Grand Opera House Belfast (17 to 22 March), Bournemouth Pavilion (31 March to 5 April), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (7 to 12 April), Birmingham Alexandra (14 to 19 April), Hall for Cornwall Truro (21 to 26 April), Venue Cymru Llandudno (29 April to 3 May), Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff (5 to 10 May), Marlowe Canterbury (12 to 17 May), Bristol Hippodrome (19 to 24 May), New Wimbledon Theatre (9 to 14 June), Curve, Leicester (16 to 21 June), Wolverhampton Grand (23 to 28 June), Hull New Theatre (30 June to 5 July), Congress Theatre Eastbourne (7 to 12 July), Norwich Theatre Royal (14 to 19 July), Blackpool Winter Gardens (21 to 26 July), New Victoria Woking (28 July to 2 August), Sunderland Empire (4 to 9 August), the Hawth Crawley (11 to 16 August), King’s Theatre Glasgow (18 to 23 August) and The Lowry in Salford (25 to 30 August).

Tickets for select dates are on sale now.