Casting for UK tour of Jeff Wayne's musical version of H G Wells' The War of the Worlds

Casting has just been announced for Jeff Wayne's latest tour  of H G Wells' The War of the Worlds, next year.

Wayne will conduct the piece with the Black Smoke Band and  the 36-piece ULLAdubULLA strings ensemble. The experience will also feature a giant 30-foot tall martian robot, armed with dual fire cannons, alongside a giant 100-foot wide CGI wall. Liam Neeson will again play The Journalist as a 3D holograph.

Advertised  as "The Life Begins Again Tour", the piece will star Claire Richards from Steps making her debut as Beth, The Parson's Wife, alongside  Strictly Come Dancing's  Kevin Clifton as The Artilleryman.

Joining them will be Nathan James as The Voice of Humanity, Blue's Duncan James as Parson Nathaniel, Justin Hayward as The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist and Anna-Marie Wayne as Carrie, The Journalist's Fiancée. Callum O'Neil will also appear as Wells himself.

Buy tickets for the tour which will open in Nottingham on 23 March 2022, before visiting Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, Bournemouth, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Hull, Liverpool, Newcastle and London where an immersive production is due to open later this year