Starlight Express announces new casting and extension

The award-winning revival of Starlight Express has announced new casting and its fifth extension.

Michael Harrison and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival, which continues its open-ended run at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, will welcome new company members from 11 June 2025.

Set to star will be Gavin Adams as Rusty, Sophie Naglik as Pearl, Olivia Ringrose as Greaseball, Asher Forth as Electra and Georgia Pemberton as Dinah.

They will be joining Jade Marvin as Momma McCoy and WhatsOnStage Award nominee Jaydon Vijn as Hydra.

The Starlight Express company is completed by Jamie Addison, Jessie Angell, Ollie Augustin, Evan Taylor Benyacar, Charles Butcher, Cletus Chan, Tamara Verhoven Clyde, Jamie Cruttenden, Kelly Downing, Isaac Edwards, Maddy Erzan-Essien, Sam Gallacher, Lucy Glover, Scott Hayward, Dante Hutchinson, Iwan James, Lewis Kidd, Hannah Kiss, Nicole Louise-Lewis, Bethany Rose Lythgoe, Jessica Niles, Temi Olawole, Harrison Peterkin, RED, Ashley Rowe, Nicky Wong Rush, Charlie Russell, Gary Sheridan, Lara Vina Uzcatia and Amber Weston.

Lloyd Webber’s musical, which first debuted 40 years ago, is about a child’s train set that comes to life and competes to become the fastest engine in the world. Audience members in Wembley Park can sit either around and inside the “racing track”, or behind the performance space on a more conventional rake.

The musical, which picked up seven WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best Revival, is now booking until 1 March 2026.

Starlight Express premiered at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984, where it played until 2002. It has also been running in Bochum, Germany for over 30 years, and has been seen by more than 20 million people. It has music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and famously sees the cast perform on rollerskates. The original choreography was by Arlene Phillips, who returns as creative dramaturg alongside choreographer Ashley Nottingham.

Luke Sheppard directs the new production, while the creative team features set designer Tim Hatley, costume designer Gabriella Slade, lighting designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Gareth Owen, video designer Andrzej Goulding, new orchestrations by Matthew Brind and Lloyd Webber, musical supervision by Matthew Brind and David Wilson, musical direction by Laura Bangay and casting by Pearson Casting.