A round-up of April casting news from around the country including Theatre Royal Bath’s Into the Woods, a tour of Twopence To Cross The Mersey and Curve Leicester’s revival of Billy Elliot the Musical
Scenario Two and Theatre Royal Bath Productions have announced the cast of Into the Woods, the legendary Stephen Sondheim musical, with book by James Lapine, as it prepares to bring the fantastical story to life in a brand-new production which opens from 19 August 2022.
Gillian Bevan as Jack’s Mother, Julian Bleach as Mysterious Man, Audrey Brisson as Cinderella, Nathanael Campbell as Wolf/ Prince, Maria Conneely as Rapunzel, Lauren Conroy as Little Red Riding Hood, Phoebe Fildes as Lucinda, Samuel Holmes as Steward, Nicola Hughes as Witch, Charlotte Jaconelli as Florinda, Henry Jenkinson as Prince, Rhashan Stone as Baker, Barney Wilkinson as Jack and Alex Young as Baker’s Wife.
The full cast for the first major UK national tour of Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey has been announced. Directed by Gareth Tudor Price, the cast features Mark Moraghan, Daniel Taylor, Parry Glasspool, Jenny Murphy, Lynn Francis, Lynne Fitzgerald, Robert Hudson, Roy Carruthers and Chloe McDonald.
The tour opens on Tuesday 6 September at the New Brighton Floral Pavilion in Wirral and will continue through to mid-November visiting a further 14 venues in Rhyl, Stockport, Crewe, St Helens, Blackpool, Warrington, Darlington, Halifax, Croydon, Coventry, Lichfield, Bolton and Southport, before closing in Liverpool.
Curve has announced the cast and creative team for its upcoming Made at Curve production of Billy Elliot the Musical, from Thursday 7 July to Sunday 14 August. The titular role of Billy Elliot will be performed by Leo Hollingsworth from Nottinghamshire, Alfie Napolitano from Northamptonshire, Samuel Newby from Hertfordshire and Jaden Shentall-Lee, whose family live in Leicestershire. And Billy’s dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson will be played by West End and Broadway legend Sally Ann Triplett.
Michael, Billy’s best friend will be performed by Bobby Donald, Lucas Haywood, Ethan Shimwell and Leicester’s Prem Masani. Pearl Ball, Caitlin Cole, Lola Johnstone and Ellie Copping – will share the role of Debbie, Mrs. Wilkinson’s daughter. Joe Caffrey will plays Billy’s Dad Jackie, Rachel Izen will play Billy’s Grandma Edna, Luke Baker will play Billy’s older brother Tony and Jessica Daley will play Billy’s Dead Mum.
The adult company will be completed by Craig Armstrong as George, Minal Patel as Big Davey, Cameron Johnson as Mr. Braithwaite, Micky Cochrane as Scab, Robin Paley Yorke as Lesley, Christopher Wright as Mr. Wilkinson, Michael Lin as Pit Supervisor, Jonathan Dryden Taylor as Posh Dad, Tori McDougall as Clipboard Woman, Louie Wood as Glaswegian Dancer, and Steph Asamoah and Anna Rossa as community members.
The young company of ballet dancers and boxers, most of which are Midlands-based or have local family connections, will feature Willow Adamson, Maddie Seren Ashley, Oliver Back, Aneeka Kaur Bains, Ella-Rose Blackburn Price, Harvey Clarridge, Lily Corkill, Miley Dalton, Matisse Didier, Isabelle Francis, Ethan Galeotti, Rahul Gandabhai, Isla Granville, Uzziah Gray, Orlaith Rae Hunt, Ava Rose Johnson, Ava Mia Komisarczuk, Kyrelle Lammy, Lienna-Jean Langdon, Tahlia Maddox, Lorcan Murphy, Nesisa Mhindu, Hayden Polanco, Sophie Pirie, Gopal Thacker and Mirabelle Varakantam.
Full casting has been announced for Jean Racine’s Roman tragedy Britannicus, translated and adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker and directed by award-winning director Atri Banerjee, in a thrilling, new production exploring monarchy, succession, dictatorship and depravity, set in modern day Rome. Britannicus runs at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 26 May to 25 June 2022.
The production features Shyvonne Ahhmad, seen as Ash Majee in UKTV series Annika, as Junia; Nigel Barrett, from the award-winning Edinburgh Festival hit Pops, plays Narcissus; Nathaniel Curtis, best known for playing Ash Mukherjee in the hit Channel 4 series It’s A Sin, in the title role of Britannicus; Hanna Khogali, seen in Paines Plough’s You Bury Me, is Albine; Helena Lymbery, recently seen in Measure for Measure at Shakespeare’s Globe, plays Burrhus; Sirine Saba, who was recently seen as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe, plays their mother Agrippina; and William Robinson, direct from Bacon at Finborough Theatre, as Emperor Nero.
Fat Rascal Theatre and Wildpark Entertainment announce casting and tour dates for critically acclaimed hit parody musical Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch opening at Underbelly Festival Earls Court from 21 June – 16 July before splashing into The Lowry, MAST and Cast Doncaster in September – things are gonna get wet.
Fresh from sell out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the UK the cast of ‘Unfortunate’ will be led by Elliotte Williams- N’Dure in the title role of Ursula along with Miracle Chance as Ariel, Jack Gray as Scuttle, Jamie Mawson as Eric, Allie Munro as Sebastian and George Whitty as Triton.
