The Commitments UK and Ireland tour reveals casting

Casting has been revealed for the forthcoming tour of The Commitments.

Starring will be Nigel Pivaro (Coronation Street) as Da, alongside Ian McIntosh as Deco, James Killeen as Jimmy, Stuart Reid as Joey, Ciara Mackey as Imelda, Michael Mahony as Oustpan, Ryan Kelly as Billy, Conor Litten as Dean, Guy Freeman as Derek, Stephen O'Riain as James, Ronnie Yorke as Mickah, Eve Kitchingman as Natalie, and Sarah Gardiner as Bernie.

The ensemble comprises Maryann Lynch, Alice Croft, James Deegan, Callum Martin, Joshua Barton, Ed Thorpe and Colm Gleeson.

Pivaro said: "I am thrilled to be marking my return to the stage in this production of The Commitments. It's an iconic story that resonates across the years, about people who, though distant from the music's origins, find communion and expression in the Motown style. A musical genre which was borne out of oppression and which the characters embrace as their own. The Motown sound is as vibrant today as it was when it first burst through in the Sixties."

Roddy Doyle, who penned the original 1987 novel and its stage adaptation, added: "I'm delighted that The Commitments are coming back in 2022 and 2023 and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how Nigel Pivaro tackles the part of Jimmy Rabbitte's Da."

The score features more than 20 soul classics, including "Try A Little Tenderness", "River Deep, Mountain High", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", among others.

Andrew Linnie directs the new touring production. He is no stranger to The Commitments, having made his West End debut in the original 2013 production at the Palace Theatre as the band's sax player, Dean, going on to star as Jimmy Rabitte in the 2016-17 UK tour.

The show launches at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on 24 September 2022, before heading to Portsmouth, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Hull, York, Bradford, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Wimbledon, Truro, Plymouth, Aylesbury, Dublin, Belfast, Ipswich, Bournemouth, Dartford, Bristol, Southampton, Nottingham, Northampton, Liverpool, Birmingham, Blackpool, Darlington, Peterborough, Cardiff, Llandudno, Manchester, Reading and Newcastle, finally culminating in Brighton in July 2023.

Tickets for select dates are on sale below.