Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre announces full casting for summer season
Grosvenor Park has unveiled casting for its three open air shows being presented this summer in Chester.
Each cast member will take on three roles in the season in each of the shows – Pride and Prejudice, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Jungle Book.
Jessica Dives will play Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Quickly and Anne Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Speakno and Ringo the Vulture in The Jungle Book, Suzanne Ahmet will play Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Kaa and Liam the Vulture in The Jungle Book, Darren Kuppan will play Mr Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, Master Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor and Bagheera in The Jungle Book.
Jenny Murphy will play Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Master Fenton and Sir Hugh in Merry Wives of Windsor and Hearno and Announcer in The Jungle Book. Howard Chadwick will play Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Falstaff in Merry Wives of Windsor and Baloo in The Jungle Book. Perry Moore will play Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Master Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Shere Khan and Paul the Vulture in The Jungle Book.
Purvi Parmar will play Charlotte Collins in Pride and Prejudice, Slender in Merry Wives of Windsor and Mowgli in The Jungle Book. Completing the cast is Victoria Brazier as Mrs Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor and Seano and Noel the Vulture in The Jungle Book.
Artistic director Alex Clifton said: "We are so delighted to have this company! They each come with enormous skill, commitment and energy. They are all wonderful storytellers and are ready to work very hard. Like always, they each come with a diversity of experiences and perspectives and a variety of skills: musicianship, singing, physical skills. They can't wait to be with an audience – to connect with, to play with and to."
The venue will open with socially distanced audiences from 29 May 2021, with three productions playing through until the end of August.
The Jungle Book will be adapted by Glyn Maxwell with direction by Gitika Buttoo, composed and musical direction by Tom Penn, choreography and movement by Grace Goulding and design by Jessica Curtis. The Merry Wives of Windsor is to be directed by John Young, with musical director and composer Jessica Dives, designer Jessica Curtis and choreographer Alison Hughes also on the creative team.
Finally, Pride and Prejudice is adapted by Deborah McAndrew, directed by Conrad Nelson, designed by Jessica Curtis choreographed by Beverly Edmunds with musical direction and composition by Rebekah Hughes.
