Complete cast for the return of The Wicker Husband confirmed

Full casting has now been confirmed for The Wicker Husband, which returns to the Watermill Theatre in Newbury after its original run (which received a glowing 5-star review from WhatsOnStage) was forced to close back in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

The company includes Joseph Alessi (The Lorax) as Cobbler, Gemma Sutton (The Girl from the North Country) as Ugly Girl, George Maguire (Sunny Afternoon) as Wicker Husband, Angela Caesar (Caroline, or Change) as Cobbler's Wife, Jonathan Charles (War Horse) as Innkeep, Claire-Marie Hall (Operation Mincemeat) as Innkeep's Wife, Jack Quarton (Amélie) as Tailor, Davina Moon (Privates on Parade) as Tailor's Wife, and Julian Forsyth (Sunset Boulevard) as Old Basket Maker.

The puppeteers for the production are Nisha Anil (Dr Dolittle) and Sebastian Charles (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), while Tom Norman serves as a swing.

The on-stage band includes Jon Whitten, Rachel Barnes and musical director Pat Moran.

Directed by Charlotte Westenra, The Wicker Husband is a folk-inspired musical which tells the tale of an outsider. Based on an original short story by Ursula Wills, the show features a book by Rhys Jennings and a score by Darren Clark.

The creative team for the returning piece includes by puppetry designer and director Finn Caldwell (with Gareth Aled as associate puppetry director), set designer Anna Kelsey, choreographer Steven Harris, lighting designer Hartley T A Kemp, and sound designer Ella Wahlström. The stage management team consists of Emily Stedman, Alex Berridge-Schuter, Caitlin Ravenscroft and Eleanor Walton.

Watermill's artistic director Paul Hart commented: "It's been a long road since The Wicker Husband, a piece that is so perfect for The Watermill's stage, opened and was forced to almost immediately close, in March 2020. With its beautiful score, and incredible puppets, I can't wait to welcome back the whole team for this remarkable show."

The production is set to run from 11 to 26 March 2022.

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