Martha Kirby and Tyrone Huntley to star in Evita

Exclusive: Initial casting has been unveiled for Curve’s upcoming revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice classic, Evita.

Leading the cast in Leicester over the festive season will be Martha Kirby (Bat Out of Hell, Rags, Grease) as Eva Perón and Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Christ Superstar, The View UpStairs, Dreamgirls) as Che. Further casting will be announced at a later date.

“I am extremely excited to be playing Eva Perón at Curve,” said Kirby. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to discover this iconic role, while working with such an incredible team in the most nurturing environment. It truly is a gift.”

Huntley added: “I’m delighted to finally be returning to the incredible Curve after nearly a decade and as musical theatre goes, there’s no show quite as iconic as Evita, so I really can’t wait to get going!”

Telling the tale of the rise and fall of the iconic Argentinian figure, the 1978 musical (which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year) includes numbers such as “Buenos Aires”, “Another Suitcase in Another Hall”, “Oh What a Circus” and “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”.

The production is helmed by artistic director Nikolai Foster. Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and Foster released the following joint statement: “We are thrilled Martha Kirby and Tyrone Huntley are leading our new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s magnificent musical. Martha and Tyrone are both rising stars and represent the very best of UK theatre; we are excited to see them set the stage ablaze as they redefine these iconic roles, in this incredible show, for the 21^st century. They lead an astonishing company and we look forward to sharing more casting and production news later in the year.”

Alongside Foster, the creative team also includes set designer Michael Taylor (Billy Elliot the Musical), musical supervisor Stephen Brooker (White Christmas), musical director Ben van Tienen (Funny Girl), choreographer Adam Murray (Rocketman), costume designer Edd Lindley (Billy Elliot the Musical), lighting designer Joshie Hariette (Cake), sound designer Adam Fisher (The Wizard of Oz), and wigs, hair and make-up designer Sam Cox. Casting is by Curve associate Kay Magson CDG and Olivia Laydon.

Evita is set to run at Curve from 27 November 2023 to 13 January 2024, with a press night scheduled for 1 December.

Tickets are on sale below.