Rebecca Trehearn to star in Stephen Schwartz's Rags at Hope Mill Theatre

Olivier Award-winning actress Rebecca Trehearn will lead the cast of Rags at Hope Mill Theatre.

Trehearn, who won the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Award in 2017 when she appeared in Showboat, will play Rebecca in the new revival of Stephen Schwartz's musical, which opens at the Manchester venue in March.

She will be joined by Valda Aviks as Rachel, Gavin James as Bronfman, Sam Peggs as Ben, Jane Quinn as Anna, Michael S Siegel as Avram, Robert Tripolino as Sal, Tim Walton as Jacob (Jack) and Lydia White as Bella. Completing the cast are James Dangerfield, Emma Fraser, James Hastings and Hanna Khogali, while the role of David will be shared by Lochlan White and George Varley.

Rags tells the story of Russian immigrant Rebecca who travels with her son to America, where she's faced with the difficult decision of either adopting a new identity or staying true to her roots. It has book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), lyrics by Schwartz and music by Charles Strouse (Annie), and first ran on Broadway in 1986, where it was nominated for five Tony Awards.

The Hope Mill revival is directed by Bronagh Lagan with musical direction and new orchestrations by Nick Barstow, choreography by Grant Murphy, set design by Gregor Donnelly, costume design by Maggie Harwood, lighting design by Derek Anderson, sound design by James Nicholson and casting by Jane Deitch. It will run from 2 March to 6 April.