Theatre News

Will Young leads Norris’ Cabaret back to West End, 3 Oct

| London's West End |

18 May 2012

As previously tipped by Whatsonstage.com, pop star-turned-actor Will Young will make his West End debut in Rufus Norris’ revival of Cabaret, which opens at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 2012 following a four-week national tour.

Young, who rose to fame as the winner of Pop Idol in 2002, will play the Emcee in Norris’ revised version of his multi award-winning 2006 production.

Speaking about his new role, he said: “I am very excited about the challenge of choosing Cabaret as my first musical theatre role. The role of the Emcee is a part I have wanted to play since before I started training at Arts Education in Chiswick when I first moved to London. With Rufus and Javier I couldn’t wish for better people to be surrounded by.”

Based on the stories of Christopher Isherwood and the play by John Van Druten, Cabaret has a book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It premiered on Broadway in 1966 and in 1972 was made into an Oscar-winning film starring Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles, Michael York as Cliff and Joel Grey as the Emcee.

Norris’ Olivier Award-winning production originally opened at the West End’s Lyric Theatre in October 2006 with James Dreyfus as the Emcee and Anna Maxwell Martin as Sally, who was later succeeded by Kim Medcalf. Bill Kenwright subsequently produced a 2008/09 UK tour which starred Samantha Barks and Wayne Sleep.

According to the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye, Norris and Kenwright have been in discussions with Young “for eight months” about him playing the master of ceremonies.

The production, which is choreographed by Javier de Frutos, will play a four-week UK tour before opening at the Savoy. It will visit the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (3-8 September), Theatre Royal, Nottingham (10-15 September), Theatre Royal, Norwich (17-22 September) and The Lowry, Salford (24-29 September).

Further casting is still to be announced.

Since winning the first series of ITV’s reality television competition Pop Idol, the 33-year-old Young has received two Brit Awards and released six albums. His chart-topping singles include “Leave Right Now”, “Friday’s Child”, “Light My Fire” and “Evergreen”. He made his professional acting debut on screen – alongside Dame Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins and Kelly Reilly – in Stephen Frears’ 2005 film Mrs Henderson Presents, and his professional stage debut in The Vortex at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre in 2007.

Currently at the Savoy, The Sunshine Boys starring Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths continues its limited run until 28 July 2012.