Theatre News

Musicals Cast: Donovan in Music, Slice & Century

30 November 2010

Jason Donovan will take over as Captain Von Trapp in the current UK tour of The Sound of Music, beginning when the show visits Hull New Theatre from 29 January to 12 February 2011.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and Really Useful Group production stars Connie Fisher – the victor in the BBC’s original musical theatre casting competition How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? – and began touring in July 2009.

Donovan, who made his name in long-running Australian soap Neighbours, is currently on tour playing The Artilleryman in The War of the Worlds. His previous theatre credits include ‘Tick’ in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (all in the West End). His touring credits include The Rocky Horror Show and Sweeney Todd.

After Hull, Donovan will also appear at the Regent Theatre Stoke (15 February-5 March) Derry Millennium Forum (15 March-2 April), Dublin Canal Theatre (5-30 April), King’s Theatre Glasgow (10 May-4 June) and the Leeds Grand Theatre (7-25 June).

The Sound of Music premiered on Broadway in 1959, when it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show first opened in London in 1961 and its last London revival was in 1981, both productions having record-breaking runs. The 1965 Hollywood film, which starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Oscars, including Best Picture.

The current revival, which ran at the Palladium from 2006 to 2009, is directed by Jeremy Sams and designed by Robert Jones, with choreography by Arlene Phillips, sound by Mick Potter, lighting by Mark Henderson and musical supervision by Simon Lee.

In other musical casting news:

Upstairs at the Gatehouse is reviving the Heather Brothers’ A Slice of Saturday Night, first seen in the West End in 1989, from 21 December 2010 to 30 January 2011 (previews from 16 December). Directed by John Plews, the cast features: Jason Griffiths (Jerry Springer the Opera), John Hawkins (Mamma Mia!), Adam Pettigrew, Robin Rayner, Stephanie Ticknell-Smith, Nancy Hill, Nicola McQuillan, Rossano Canzio and Lea Bourne.

This Christmas, the Union Theatre is staging a revival of On The Twentieth Century, the show’s first since it was produced at the Bridewell in 1996. The musical, which features music by Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity), centres on a megalomaniac theatre impresario who attempts to resuscitate his flat-lining career while fleeing on an express train. The production runs from 16 December 2010 to 15 January 2011 (previews from 14 December). It will be directed by Ryan McBryde and star: Lulu Alexandra, Valda Aviks, Virge Gilchrist, Matthew Harrop, Kristopher Milnes, Howard Samuels, Robbie Scotcher, Chris David Storer, Leejay Townsend and Rebecca Vere.