Hope Mill Theatre executive director cues The Wiz revival after an afternoon's preparation

The venue's production of The Wiz, currently playing to 16 January, was an operator short, so the venue's executive director William Whelton cued the entire show with a single afternoon's preparation.

The theatre said on social media: "Will's pure dedication to Hope Mill and its productions is an inspiration to us all."

Appearing are Cherelle Wiliams (she/her, The Lion King) as Dorothy, Tarik Frimpong (he/him, Aladdin) as Scarecrow, Llewellyn Graham (he/him, making his professional debut) as Tin Man, Jonathan Andre (he/him, The Lion King) as Lion, Cameron Bernard Jones (he/him, South Pacific) as The Wiz, Anelisa Lamola (she/her, The Color Purple) as Addaperle, Bree Smith (she/her, West Side Story) as Aunt Em and Glinda, Kofi Dennis (he/him, Romeo and Juliet) as Lord High and Ashh Blackwood (she/her, Horrible Histories) as Evillene.

The ensemble features Andile Mabhena (he/him), Shayna McPherson (she/her), Dylan Gordon-Jones (he/him), Samantha Shuma (she/her), Marisha Morgan (she/her).

Joining director Matthew Xia on the creative team are musical director Ehsaan Shivarani, musical supervisor and orchestrator Sean Green, choreographer Leah Hill, designer Simon Kenny, associate costume designer Maybelle Laye, projection designer George Reeve, associate projection designer Kira O'Brien, lighting designer Simisola Majekodunmi, sound designer Tony Gayle, casting director Ryan Carter and casting support Anne Vosser.

Greeted with out-and-out raves when it premiered late last month, the piece is a twist on the multi-Tony Award-winning '70s musical, which is penned by Charlie Smalls and William F Brown and is based on L Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.