The Worst Witch stage show casting and UK tour announced

Casting and the creative team have been announced for the new stage adaptation of The Worst Witch, which opens at Royal and Derngate in Northampton next month before embarking on a UK tour in 2019.

Directed by Theresa Heskins (The Snow Queen), the piece is based on Jill Murphy's classic series of books and adapted for the stage by Emma Reeves.

The piece follows the accident-prone Mildred Hubble, who lives in a school for witches and leaves a trail of mayhem in her wake.

Playing Hubble is Danielle Bird (The Hypocrite), while taking the roles of Agatha and Miss Cackle is Polly Lister (The Snow Queen). Rachel Heaton (Passing) plays Miss Hardbroom, Rebecca Killick (Pink Mist) plays Maud, Rosie Abraham (Peter Pan Goes Wrong) plays Ethel and Anna Crichlow (Common) plays Enid. The cast is completed by Molly-Grace Cutler as Miss Bat/musician, Megan Leigh Mason as Miss Drill/musician, Emma Lau as Drusilla and Meg Forgan as Fenella/musician.

The Worst Witch is designed by Simon Daw (Humble Boy), with music by Luke Potter (Hetty Feather) while aerial consultancy is by Vicki Amedume, Beverley Norris-Edmunds choreographs, and illusions are by John Bulleid. Lighting design is by Aideen Malone and sound design is by Leigh Davies, puppetry direction and design is by Paschale Straiton and casting is by Anjo Carroll.

Murphy said: "My first trip to the theatre aged four, opened up a magical world – so real to me, that I had to be restrained from climbing onstage to help the children in peril! My mum was quite cross with me, but I never wanted the show to end and sang the songs loudly all the way home on the bus. Imagine how proud I feel, all these years later, seeing my own Mildred Hubble on stage with all the characters from Miss Cackle's Academy"

After opening in Northampton, the piece will go on to run in Sheffield, Cambridge, Hull, Derby, Canterbury, Dartford, Southampton, Malvern, Leicester, Salford, Plymouth, Norwich, Norwich, Coventry, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool with more dates to be added.

The piece is co-produced by Royal and Derngate Northampton, Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, Novel Theatre and Nica Burns.