New cast members announced for tour of The Lion King

 

Twelve new cast members have been announced for the  touring production of The Lion King, which is currently playing  in Manchester.

From 11 December 2022, Kyle Richardson, who is currently in the show, will step into the lead role of Simba.

Also joining the show will be Alex Bloomer as Ed and Candida Mosoma as Shenzi, while current ensemble cast member Jorell Coiffic-Kamall will be taking on the role of Banzai.

The ensemble cast will be joined by Tanisha-Mae Brown, Asmara Cammock, Zodwa Mrasi, Felipe Flores, Reece McKenzie, Aphiwe Nyezi, Peace Nzirawa and Ebby Sama.

The newly announced cast members join principals Matthew Forbes as Zazu, Jean-Luc Guizonne as Mufasa, Richard Hurst as Scar, Nokwanda Khuzwayo as Nala, Alan McHale as Timon, Thandazile Soni as Rafiki and Carl Sanderson as Pumbaa.

The UK and Ireland tour cast also includes Khanyisani Beato, Mamido Bomboko Souchu, Bethany Chan, Tau-En Chien, Elisa Chou, Tevin Daniel, Lwandolwethu Dennis Bam, Tim Driesen, Felipe Flores, Oraine Frater, Adebunmi Gabriel, Brian Gilligan, Daniel Griffith, Gavin Hart, Caleaf Henson, Dillan Hope Suttle, Olivia Jones, Melvin Le Blanc, Zanele Mazibuko, Zanele Ndlovu, Buhle Nkomo, Cristiane Santos De Jesus, Francesca Thompson, Vuyelwa Laura Tshona, Ricardo Walker, Maria Yim and Bukiwe Zingant.

First casting news for new tour of The King and I

Initial casting has been revealed for new tour of The King and I, which kicks off next February at Canterbury

Helen George (Call the Midwife, The Woman in White) will play the role of Anna Leonowens in the new tour, saying today: "Theatre is my first love, and I am so excited to be returning to the stage for this beautiful, majestic production of The King and I.I was blown away when I saw Bartlett Sher's staging of this wonderful show, so I can't wait to work with him and the rest of the creative team to bring this timeless story back to the stage next year. Anna is such a strong, passionate and determined character, and I'm going to relish bringing her to life every night, as well as giving audiences all over the UK the chance to see this peerless Broadway and West End musical right on their doorstep."

Further casting for the tour is to be revealed.

Latest casting news on new tour of the Rocky Horror Show

The 50th Anniversary production of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show will return to London for a limited six week run at the Peacock Theatre, from 3rd May – 10th June 2023, with tickets on sale now.

This musical extravaganza continues to tour the  UK into  2023 with a cast that is showing no signs of slowing down!

In the latest Rocky Horror tour which kicks off at Wimbledon Theatre in November, the London cast will include West End star Stephen Webb will play Frank ´n´Furter with Haley Flaherty as Janet. Ore Oduba  will return to the role of Brad Majors with Kristian Lavercombe once again reprising his role as Riff Raff,  with Darcy Finden (who made her professional debut last year as one of the Phantoms) now stepping up to play the role of  Columbia. Ben Westhead plays Rocky, Suzie McAdams takes on the role of Magenta and Joe Allen plays Eddie & Dr Scott.

Playing the Phantoms are Stefania Du Toit, Jessica Sole, Reece Budin and Fionán O’Carroll who is making his professional debut. Nathan Shaw is Male Swing and Tyla Nurden is Female Swing.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, the smash hit show features all of the famous musical numbers which have made The Rocky Horror Show such a huge hit for over four decades, including “Sweet Transvestite”, “Science Fiction/Double Feature”, “Dammit Janet” and, of course, the timeless floor-filler, “The Time-Warp”

 

Initial casting announced for West End transfer of Oklahoma!

Initial casting has been announced for West End transfer of Oklahoma! which had a sell-out run at the Young Vic earlier this year.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical  includes the numbers  "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'", "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and, of course, "Oklahoma", It is reimagined in Daniel Fish's Tony Award-winning Fish's revival for the 21st century telling the story of "a community banding together against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America." The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' play Green Grow the Lilacs.

Reprising their roles in the West End after appearing at the Young Vic are Raphael Bushay (Mike), Arthur Darvill (Curly McLain), James Patrick Davis (Will Parker), Stavros Demetraki (Ali Hakim), Greg Hicks (Andrew Carnes), Rebekah Hinds (Gertie Cummings), Anoushka Lucas (Laurey Williams), Marie-Astrid Mence (Lead Dancer), Liza Sadovy (Aunt Eller) and Patrick Vaill (Jud Fry).

Further casting for the show, which runs at the Wyndham's Theatre from 16 February (with an opening night on 28 February) until 2 September 2023, is to be announced. Tickets are now on sale.

The show has orchestrations, arrangements and co-music supervision by Daniel Kluger, while the creative team will include choreographer John Heginbotham, scenic designers Lael Jellinek and Grace Laubacher, costume designer Terese Wadden, lighting designer Scott Zielinski, sound designer Drew Levy, projection designer Joshua Thorson and co-music supervision and additional vocal arrangements by Nathan Koci.

 

Casting announced for Ain´t Too Proud Temptations musical at the Prince Edward

Casting has been revealed for the West End premiere of the Tony Award-winning Ain't Too Proud musical featuring music by the Temptations which will run at the Prince Edward Theatre (currently home to Mary Poppins) from 31st March 2023.

Appearing in the piece will be Cameron Bernard Jones (The Wiz) as Melvin Franklin, Kyle Cox (Elf) as Paul Williams, Sifiso Mazibuko (Hamilton) as Otis Williams, Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Drifters Girl) as David Ruffin and Mitchell Zhangazha (Dear Evan Hansen) as Eddie Kendricks. 

Cameron Bernard Jones’ theatre credits include Punchdrunk’s The Burnt City, the titular role in The Wiz at the Hope Mill Theatre, South Pacific at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Tina The Musical and Motown The Musical both in the West End, the latter in which he also played the role of Melvin Franklin.

Kyle Cox currently stars in Elf at the Dominion Theatre. His additional theatre credits include the role of Wyatt in Crazy For You at the Chichester Festival Theatre, and a workshop production of Halls: The Musical at the Turbine Theatre.

Sifiso Mazibuko’s theatre credits include the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, as well as Malindadzimu at the Hampstead Theatre and Motown The Musical in the West End.

Tosh Wanogho-Maud’s theatre credits include the role of Ben E King/ Rudy Lewis in The Drifter’s Girl at the Garrick Theatre, Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre, Joe in Show Boat at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Mutumbo in The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Young Simba in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and Winston in Whistle Down the Wind at the Aldwych Theatre.

Mitchell Zhangazha’s most recently appears in Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. His other theatre credits include Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre, for which he won the Black British Theatre Award 2022 for Best Understudy/Swing in a Theatre Production, Back to the Future at the Manchester Opera House, Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, Caroline or Change at the National Theatre, Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre, Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and Young Michael Jackson in Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre and on tour.

Further casting is to be announced.

 

Wicked heading out on new 2023 tour

The multi-award-winning musical Wicked will embark on a brand-new tour from late 2023 through to 2025.

The show, which is also currently running in the West End, will play at ten cities, beginning with Edinburgh in December 2023. Casting for the tour is to be revealed.

Wicked's UK and Ireland executive producer Michael McCabe said today: "We're delighted to be embarking on this third tour of the UK and Ireland and taking Wicked back to ten incredible theatres in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland where sold-out audiences previously greeted us so ecstatically.We're excited to have this opportunity to share once again the spectacle, magic and emotion that has created unforgettable memories for audiences everywhere." 

The new tour, featuring a cast and crew of over 82 people (as well as 20 employed in each city) will coincide with the filming and production of the two-part Wicked movie, with the big-screen versions of the show set to premiere in 2024 and 2025.

Based on the hit novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the story of two unlikely university friends in the land of Oz, one destined to become Glinda The Good and the other, the Wicked Witch of the West.

The musical features a score by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, with direction by Joe Mantello and choreography by Wayne Cilento.

Just announced: Mrs Doubtfire London dates and casting

Producers Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson are thrilled to announce that new comedy musical Mrs. Doubtfire, based on the iconic movie, will open in the West End at the newly refurbished Shaftesbury Theatre from Friday 12 May 2023 with a Press Night on Thursday 22 June. Tickets go on-sale today

Out-of-work actor Daniel will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the ​alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.

Mrs. Doubtfire will see Gabriel Vick (Avenue Q) reprise the role of Daniel Hillard which he played so successfully in Manchester

Gabriel will be joined in the principal cast by Carla Dixon-Hernandez (Matilda the Musical) as Lydia Hillard, Cameron Blakely (The Addams Family) as Frank Hillard, Marcus Collins (Kinky Boots) as Andre, and Ian Talbot OBE (Hairspray, and Director of The Mousetrap) as Mr. Jolly.

Further cast include Joshua Dever, Samuel Wilson-Freeman, Maria Garrett, Kiera Haynes, Adam Lyons, Lisa Mathieson, Ellie Mitchell, Matt Overfield, Tom Scanlon, Vicki Lee Taylor and Rebecca Donnelly, Amy Everett and Paulo Teixeira.

The roles of Miranda Hillard, Stuart Dunmire, Janet Lundy, Wanda Sellner and the full cast are to be announced at a later date.

Mrs. Doubtfire has been created by a transatlantic team of award-winning artists, with Original Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, (the Tony Award-nominated team behind Something Rotten!, along with O’Farrell), a Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Direction by 4-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks (Hello, Dolly!), Choreography by Lorin Latarro (Waitress), and Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations by Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical). Scenic design is by David Korins (Hamilton), Costume Design by Catherine Zuber (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Lighting Design by Philip S. Rosenberg (Pretty Woman The Musical), Sound Design by Brian Ronan (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Hair Design by David Brian Brown (Frozen), Makeup & Prosthetics Design by Tommy Kurzman (The King and I), Casting by Stuart Burt (Cabaret) and Children’s Casting Director is Verity Naughton.

Mrs. Doubtfire is produced by Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson and is presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.

 

Complete casting for new tour of The Bodyguard.

Complete casting has been revealed for the upcoming tour of The Bodyguard.

Joining the show will be Emmerdale actor Ayden Callaghan as Frank Farmer, opposite the previously revealed Melody Thornton as Rachel Marron.

Further casting for the tour includes Emily-Mae as Nicki Marron, John Macaulay as Bill Devaney, Graham Elwell as Tony, James Groom as Sy Spector, Marios Nicolaides as Stalker and Fergal Coghlan as Ray Court. The role of Fletcher will be shared by Kaylenn Aires Fonseca, Iesa Miller, Frankie Keita and Reneo Kusi-Appauh.

The cast is completed by Alexandros Beshonges, Kayne Gordon, Jack Hardwick, Kalisha Johnson, James Lee Harris, Samantha Mbolekwa, Abbie Quinnen, Kellie Rhianne, Charlotte Scally, Yiota Theo and Marco Venturini.

Ayden Callaghan is best known for his roles as Miles De Souza in Emmerdale and fan favourite Joe Roscoe in Hollyoaks. Additional television credits include Doctors, Eastenders, Bad Education, Casualty and The Bill. His stage credits include the roles of Dr Treves in The Elephant Man at The Trafalgar Studios, Malcolm in Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce on UK Tour, directed by Peter Hall, and Dean Snaith in Ayckbourn’s If I Were You on UK Tour.

Melody Thornton is a multi-platinum Grammy-nominated artist, selling over 70 million albums as a member of one of the most celebrated girl groups of all time, The Pussycat Dolls. In 2020 she released her much-lauded debut solo EP, Lioness Eyes. Melody received rave reviews and audience acclaim for her performance as Rachel Marron when The Bodyguard toured China for six months. In 2018 she reached the final five in ITV’s Dancing On Ice, and most recently won The Masked Singer Australia.

Emily-Mae’s theatre credits include Disney’s Frozen and City of Angels both in the West End, Are You as Nervous as I Am? and Brooklyn the Musical at Greenwich Theatre, the National Tour of Paul Kerryson’s Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors at Storyhouse, Chester and The Producers at the Royal Exchange.

John Macaulay’s theatre credits include the UK Tour of Fatal Attraction, The Comedy of Errors at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and the RSC’s productions of The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Graham Elwell’s credits include Of Mice and Men at the Birmingham Rep and UK Tour, and the role of Carlos in the UK Tour of The Last Of The Duty Free. His screen credits include BBC’s The Miniaturist and Trying for Apple TV. James Groom’s theatre credits include the titular role of Killer Joe at the Trafalgar Theatre. His television credits include ITV’s Emmerdale and BBC’s The First Team. Marios Nicolaides’ theatre credits include the role of Frank Jr in Saturday Night Fever both in the West End and UK Tour, Annie at the Piccadilly Theatre and in Toronto, and the UK Tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Fergal Coghlan most recently appeared in Sus at the Park Theatre, and For King and Country at the Southwark Playhouse. His television credits include ITV’s Emmerdale, HBO’s Watchmen and Channel 4’s Humans. 

The show, which is based on the film of the same name starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, follows a secret service agent-turned-bodyguard Farmer, who is hired to protect singer Marron from an unknown stalker.

The piece is directed by Thea Sharrock with book by Oscar winner Alex Dinelaris (Birdman). The production had its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in 2012, where it was nominated for four Olivier Awards.

 

Wicked! 2023 cast changes

WICKED has just announced its full new London cast who will begin performances at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre on Tuesday 7 March 2023. Leading the company will be Alexia Khadime as ‘Elphaba’, returning to the role she previously played to universal acclaim, and The Phantom of the Opera star Lucy St. Louis as ‘Glinda’. Caitlin Anderson will make her West End debut as ‘Nessarose’, and current ensemble cast member Joe Thompson-Oubari will take over the role of ‘Boq’.

The full new cast is confirmed as Alexia Khadime (Elphaba), Lucy St. Louis (Glinda), Ryan Reid (Fiyero), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Morrible), Mark Curry (The Wizard), Caitlin Anderson (Nessarose), Joe Thompson-Oubari (Boq), Simeon Truby (Doctor Dillamond), Amy Webb (Standby for Elphaba), Lisa-Anne Wood (Standby for Glinda), Yuki Abe, Kofi Aidoo-Appiah, Conor Ashman, Jessica Aubrey, Joshua Clemetson, Fergus Dale, Effie Rae Dyson, Nicola Espallardo, Danny Fogarty, Ross Harmon, Kate Leiper, Nick Len, Jemima Loddy, Joshua Lovell, PaddyJoe Martin, Millie Mayhew, Harry Mills, Daniel Parrott, Aiesha Naomi Pease, Jeanie Ryan, Natalie Spriggs, James Titchener, Micaela Todd, Christine Tucker, Jaydon Vijn and Taela Yeomans-Brown.

Current cast members Lucie Jones (Elphaba), Helen Woolf (Glinda), Carina Gillespie (Nessarose), Nicholas McLean (Boq), Meg Astin, Alishia-Marie Blake, Pàje Campbell, Michael Colbourne, Nolan Edwards, Laura Harrison, Amie Hibbert, Lucie Horsfall, Samuel How, Christian Knight, Jasmine Leung, Maggie Lynne, Rhidian Marc, Jessica-Alice McCluskey, Stacey McGuire, Lewis Newton, and Samantha Thomas will all play their final performances on Sunday 5 March 2023.

“One of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), Wicked is now in its 17^th year at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre where it has already seen by more than 11 million people. The “hugely popular show” (The Times) has won over 100 international awards including three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy. Tickets are currently on public sale until Sunday 26 November 2023, with nine extra shows added.

Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) first played ‘Elphaba’ to critical acclaim in 2008 and subsequently returned to the role for a second engagement in 2009/10. Alexia’s many other leading West End roles have included ‘Nala’ in Disney’s The Lion King; ‘Éponine’ in Les Misérables; ‘Nabulungi’ in The Book of Mormon (WhatsOnStage Award); and, most recently, ‘Miriam’ in The Prince of Egypt. At the National Theatre, she played ‘Harmonia’ in Welcome To Thebes, directed by Richard Eyre. Her many television appearances have included Comin' Atcha! (CITV); Nick Payne’s Wanderlust (BBC); Splatalot (CBBC) with Dick & Dom; ‘Ellie’ in The Queen’s Nose (CBBC) and Grange Hill. She appeared in the films Rocketman; Les Misérables and London Road.

Lucy St. Louis (Glinda) is currently starring as ‘Christine Daaé’ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London. She previously starred as ‘Diana Ross’ in Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre and as ‘Antonia’ in Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum. Lucy’s many other London theatre credits include her West End debut in Ragtime (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre); and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre)

Caitlin Anderson (Nessarose) will make her West End debut in Wicked. She trained at Scotland’s MGA Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 2018.

Joe Thompson-Oubari (Boq) is currently appearing in the ensemble cast of Wicked and has played the role of ‘Boq’ on many occasions. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in the summer of 2019, gaining an MA (with Distinction) in Musical Theatre.

Jordan Luke Gage and Frances Mayli McCann return to Bonnie & Clyde musical at Garrick Theatre in March

Jordan Luke Gage and Frances Mayli McCann are to to return to BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL in the  West End running at The Garrick Theatre from Saturday 4th March - 20th May 2023 for a strictly limited 11-week season following the phenomenal response to the production during its limited run at The Arts Theatre earlier this year.      

 

Frances Mayli McCann is an Olivier Award nominated actress, who originated the role of ‘Kylah’ in “Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour”. Her other West End credits include ‘Heather McNamara’ in “Heathers” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, ‘The Mistress’ in “Evita” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and ‘Eponine’ in the UK and International Tour of “Les Misérables”. On television Frances can be seen in BBC/ABC’s Silverpoint.     

 

Jordan Luke Gage is best known for originating the role of ‘Romeo’ in the Olivier Award winning “&Juliet” at The Shaftesbury Theatre. His other West End credits include ‘Strat’ in “Bat Out Of Hell” at The Dominion Theatre and ‘JD’ in “Heathers” at Theatre Royal Haymarket. His television credits include playing ‘Adrian Barber’ in ITV’s Cilla, and ‘Luc’ in Cucumber on Channel 4.

 

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America's most renowned folk heroes and the Texas law enforcement's worst nightmares. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, Bonnie & Clyde is the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. The show features the songs “Raise A Little Hell”, “This World Will Remember Me” and “Made In America”.

When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame, combined with a desperate need to lift themselves out of the endless banality and poverty of West Dallas, set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers' thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo's fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.

BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL has a book by Ivan Menchell (Blended [movie], The Cemetery Club, Death Note The Musical), a Tony Award nominated score by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel), lyrics by Don Black (Tell Me On a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Mrs Henderson Presents), arrangements and orchestrations by John McDaniel (Patti Lupone: Live, Annie Get Your Gun). The production will be directed by Nick Winston (Director of the feature film Tomorrow Morning, MAME, The Royal Variety Performance) with Set and Costume Design by Philip Witcomb (Atlantis, Stones In His Pockets, MAME), Musical Supervision from Katy Richardson (SIX, Rent, Jersey Boys), Lighting Design by Zoe Spurr (Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, Hamlet at Theatre Royal Windsor), Sound Design by Tom Marshall (The Drifter’s Girl, Nativity The Musical, Curtains), Video Design by Nina Dunn (The Shark Is Broken, Lazuli Sky), Casting Director Jim Arnold CDG (Wicked, The Prince of Egypt).

DLAP Group is an Olivier-Award winning production company with West End and UK Touring works including “Bonnie and Clyde in Concert”, “Rock of Ages,” “Company,” “Fame,” “Curtains,” and “The Wedding Singer.”