Bend it Like Beckham to close on 5th March

Bend It Like Beckham has announced it will play its final performance at the Phoenix Theatre on 5th March 2016 which is the end of its current booking period and cast contracts.

Producers say talks are under way for  both national and international tours including a tour of India visiting multiple venues.

The director Gurinder Chadha said: "I am incredibly proud of the Bend It Like Beckham cast, musicians, production and creative teams... Our show celebrates all of us on stage and behind the scenes, something myself and the team worked so well together to realise. From the responses I have received since we opened there is a genuine hunger for us to tell our story internationally so as well as planning a UK tour for the show, we are now working on expanding the production for a proposed tour of India to include multiple stadia. Whether in the UK or abroad, Bend It Like Beckham will continue to defy expectations and proudly represent and celebrate the UK we all know and love."

Jamie Muscato to join Bend It Like Beckham

Jamie Campbbell Bower is leaving Bend it Like Beckham later this month and from 14th  December  Jamie Muscato joins the cast to play coach Joe alongside Natalie Dew as football crazy Jess and Lauren Samuels as Jules, a player with the Harriers local women’s football team. Sophie-Louise Dann plays the role of Paula with Jamal Andréas as Jess’ good friend Tony. Preeya Kalidas plays Pinky, Jess’ sister, with Tony Jayawardena and Natasha Jayetileke as her parents, Mr and Mrs Bhamra.

Jamie Muscato’s theatre credits include Sweeney Todd for Welsh National Opera, House of Mirrors and Hearts for the Arcola Theatre, Dogfight for Southwark Playhouse, The Light Princess for the National Theatre, Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Blitz for the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Love Story at the Duchess Theatre, Les Miserables on tour internationally, Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith and Novello Theatres and Lift at the Trafalgar Studios.  His film credits include Les Miserables, The Euphoria of Drowning and Wild Oats.  On television his credits include Cilla and My Parents Are Aliens.

Sophie-Louise Dann joins Bend It Like Beckham

Ronni Ancona has had to withdraw from upcoming musical Bend It Like Beckham for "family reasons".

She was due to play Paul, Jules' mother, and   will be replaced in the role by Sophie-Louise Dann, who most recently played  Barbara Castle in Made in Dagenham".

 Bend It Like Beckham is currently in rehearsals and starts  previews on May 15th, with an official first night on June 24th at the Phoenix Theatre.

Samantha Barks, Richard Fleeshman and Frances Ruffelle Bend It Like Beckham Workshop

A workshop has been held for the proposed new musical Bend It Like Beckham (based on the 2002 film of the same name) with Samantha Barks playing Jules (Keira Knightley in the film).

Tara Divina played Jess the Sikh schoolgirl who wants to be able to play like her hero.

It was a pretty impressive run through including Frances Ruffelle, Shobna Gulati, Preeya Kalidas and Richard Fleeshman which was directed by Gurinder Chadha (director and  co-writer of the film). Howard Goodall and Charles Hart are working on the score and a choreographic workshop is expected to be held before the end of the year.

The plan is to have the musical ready by the end of 2014 or early 2015.