Ride the Cyclone musical reveals UK premiere cast

Exclusive: Ride the Cyclone the Musical will have its UK premiere in London later this year – and casting has now been revealed.

Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, the show follows six teenagers who are killed in a rollercoaster accident. Trapped in limbo, they are offered a chance to return to life – if they can convince an enigmatic figure that they are the one most deserving of a second chance.

The 90-minute musical premiered at Atomic Vaudeville in British Columbia in 2008 before gaining a broader audience with its American debut at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theater in 2015. It later transferred Off-Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2016.

The show has since had productions in cities including Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Sydney and Buenos Aires. Now classed as a cult sensation, the 2021 world premiere cast recording has amassed hundreds of millions of streams on music platforms.

Set to star will be Edward Wu as The Amazing Karnak, with Baylie Carson as Ocean, Grace Galloway as Jane Doe, Robyn Gilbertson as Constance, Damon Gould as Noel, Bartek Kraszewski as Mischa and Jack Maverick as Ricky.

The cast is completed by Nathaniel Purnell and Rebecca D’Lacey.

Writers Richmond and Maxwell said: “We are beyond thrilled that a musical, which began in the basement of a Ukrainian church in Victoria, Canada, has finally found its way to London, England, this fall! The exceptional team assembled for this production is truly remarkable, and we can’t wait for UK audiences to experience Ride the Cyclone!”

The production will be directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, with musical direction by Ben McQuigg, set and costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight, lighting design by Tim Deiling, video design by Nina Dunn for PixelLux, sound design by Tom Marshall and casting by Harry Blumenau. Production management is by Toby P Darvill for Production Solutions Group, with general management by Jack Maple Productions.

Previews begin at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on Friday 14 November 2025, with an official opening night set for Wednesday 19 November. The run will continue until Saturday, 10 January 2026. Due to overwhelming demand, five additional performances have also been added.

The UK premiere is presented by Kevin McCollum, Morris Berchard and Jack Maple. The production is licensed by Broadway Licensing.