Full cast announced for UK tour of Fat Friends

Full casting has been announced for Kay Mellor's new musical, Fat Friends.

Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton, who has previously starred in Blood Brothers, will take on the role of Julia alongside Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street, We Will Rock You) as Fergus.

Further casting includes Rachael Wooding (We Will Rock You), Jonathan Halliwell (Let It Shine), Chloe Hart (Hairspray) and Joel Montague (School of Rock), with Craig Armstrong, Lizzie Bea, Paul Brangan, Emma Crossley, Neil Hurst, Ellie Leah, Laura Mansell and Ryan Pidgen completing the cast.

They join the previously announced Freddie Flintoff, Jodie Prenger, Natalie Anderson, Sam Bailey and Elaine C Smith.

Written and directed by BAFTA-winner Mellor, with original music from Nicholas Lloyd Webber, Fat Friends opens at Leeds Grand in November, before embarking on a UK tour.

Based on the TV show of the same name, the musical is set in a slimming club in Leeds and sees the characters put through modern weight loss techniques.

Fat Friends runs at Leeds Grand from 7 November to 2 December and then tours to Bromley, Newcastle, Hull, Southampton, Sheffield, Southend, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Dartford, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast, Bradford, Aberdeen and Blackpool.

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