Stiletto musical announces casting for world premiere

Exclusive: The casting for the world premiere of a new musical, Stiletto, has been announced.

Set in Venice during the winter of 1730-31, Stiletto delves into the world of 18th-century opera, where young Marco, a rising star, dreams of fame. When he meets the supremely talented Gioia, he introduces her to Venetian high society and his patron, the Contessa Azzurra.

The lead cast includes Greg Barnett as Faustino, Sam Barrett as Luigi, Jack Chambers as Marco, Kelly Hampson as Contessa Azzurra, Douglas Hansell as Pietro, Jewelle Hutchinson as Gioia, and Connor Wood as Niccolo.

The ensemble features Alex Anstey, Aiden Carson, Richard Dawes, Grace Galloway, Jennie Jacobs, Owen Johnston, Cassandra McCowan, Hannah Murdoch, Samuel John Taylor, and Sienna Widd.

The creative team is led by Matthew Wilder (Mulan), who provides the music and lyrics, and Tim Luscombe (Easy Virtue), who penned the book. Direction is by David Gilmore (Grease), with staging consultation by Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia!). Chris Baldock (Saturday Night Fever) serves as musical stager, and Jae Alexander (Sister Act) is the musical supervisor and director.

The design team includes Ceci Calf (Farm Hall) as set designer, Anna Kelsey (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as costume designer, Ben Ormerod (Manon Lescaut) as lighting designer, and Andrew Johnson (The Play That Goes Wrong) as sound designer. Orchestrations are by Simon Nathan (My Son’s a Queer). The production is cast by Neil Rutherford, and produced by Patrick Bywalski and Steven M Levy for Stiletto West End Ltd.

The production will run at Charing Cross Theatre from 24 March to 15 June 2025, with a press night on 31 March.