MTFestUK 2021 casting revealed

Casting has been revealed for MTFestUK – the festival of new musicals heading to the Turbine Theatre as well as screens in a "virtual tour".

We've decided to break this down by show just to make sure you know who's doing what!

Far From Heaven, with book by Richard Greenberg, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korle, direction by Matthew White and musical direction by Alex Parker, is based on the hit film of the same name.

The piece features Cory English (Guys & Dolls/Young Frankenstein) as Stan/Maurice, Tiffany Graves (Chicago/We Will Rock You) as Mrs Leacock/Mona Lauder/Doreen, Aimee Hodnett (White Christmas/Follies) as Connie/Nancy, Melanie La Barrie (& Juliet/Wicked) as Sybil, Ako Mitchell (Caroline, Or Change/Guys and Dolls) as Raymond, Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder/The Heidi Chronicles) as Frank and Scarlett Strallen (Singin' In The Rain/Mary Poppins) as Cathy.

#50Days, created and written by Thabo Stuck, direction by Ajjaz Awad and musical direction by Amiir Salem, is a grime musical set in 17th century England.

Performing will be Aminita Francis (Frankenstein – How To Make A Monster) as Digby/Prince of Wales, Nadine-Rose Johnson (Frankenstein) as Queen Henrietta, Reuben Joseph (Rapunzel/Midsummer) as King Charles, Kyran Mitchell-Nanton (Karma) as Pym, Robert Saunders (Grandpa's Great Escape Live) as Lillburn/Lucy Haye and Cleve September (Hamilton/Jesus Chris Superstar) as Manchester.

The Man in the Ceiling, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Jules Feiffer, will be directed by Annabel Mutale Reed and musical direction by Richard Beadle. It follows a young boy who wants to be come a successful cartoonist.

Appearing are Matthew Croke (Aladdin/Hair) as Father, Jazz Jenkins (Live – A Viral Short Film) as Lisi, Lippa (The Wild Party) as Older Jimmy and Sharon Rose (Hamilton/Motown The Musical) as Mother.

Millennials, with music, book and lyrics by Ellit Clay, will reunite director Luke Sheppard and musical director Katy Richardson to explore the world of young people in the modern day.

Luke Bayer (Everybody's Talking About Jamie/Les Misérables), Allie Daniel (RENT), Beth Hinton-Lever (West Side Story/Hadestown), Nathan Lorainey-Dineen (& Juliet/Motown The Musical), Tim Mahendran (& Juliet/The Midnight Gang), Grace Mouat (& Juliet/Six) and Jodie Steele (Six/Heathers) form the cast.

by P Burton-Morgan and Felix Hagan's Housefire is an eco rock musical, with musical direction by Mark Collins. Alex Cardall (Evita) as Alan, Eleanor Kane (High Fidelity/Fun Home) as Ginger and Robin Simões da Silva (Spring Awakening) as Leo will perform.

Cake, inspired by the life of Marie Antoinette, has music and lyrics by Jack McManus and Tasha Taylor-Johnson with book and lyrics by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and direction by Drew McOnie.

Appearing are Tori Allen-Martin (Rock Of Ages) as Judge/Nicole, Emma Kingston (Fiddler On The Roof/In The Heights) as Jeanne, Phoebe Panaretos (Strictly Ballroom/Lazarus) as Marie Antoinette and Sebastien Torkia (Matilda The Musical/The Wild Party) as The Cardinal.

Daisy, about a woman who wakes up without her memory, has book, music and lyrics by Caroline Kay, with direction by Séimí Campbell and musical direction by Sarah Travis.

The cast is Jessica Cervi (The Commitments) as Sister, Chris Chung (Heathers) as Guy, Caroline Kay (The Clockmaker's Daughter) as Daisy and Sharon Sexton (Bat Out Of Hell) as Woman.

Tony! (A Tony Blair Rock Opera) does what it says on the tin, and has book and lyrics by Harry Hill and Steve Brown, with direction by Peter Rowe and musical directon by Sarah Travis.

Appearing are Jenna Boyd (Come From Away/Wind In The Willows) as Prescott, Scott Garnham (Nativity The Musical/Billy Elliot) as Tony, Gemma Knight Jones (Falsettos/The Lion King) as Princess Di, Marie Lawrence (Toast/The Understudy) as Cherie, Simon Lipkin (Nativity The Musical/Guys and Dolls) as Mandy, Nicola Sloane (Our Town/Love In Idleness) as Mrs Blair and Paul Thornley (Harry Potter & The Cursed Child) as Kinnock.

Produced by Turbine Theatre artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, the event will now run from 17 to 29 May at the Turbine before embarking on a ‘digital tour'.

Venues it will visit in virtual form are:

31 May to 6 June: Norwich Theatre Royal, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Birmingham Hippodrome

7 to 13 June: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester

14 to 20 June: Curve Theatre, Leicester and Dundee Repertory Theatre

21 to 27 June: New Wolsey Theatre and Theatre Clwyd

28 June to 4 July: Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Sheffield Theatres and The Lowry, Manchester

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