Casting for tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Initial casting has just been announced for the tour of dirty Rotten Scoundrels which recently ended its run at the Savoy Theatre.  It kicks off at the Birmingham New Alexandra on 5th May with rehearsals starting yesterday and the lead roles being  played by Michael Praed/Lawrence Jameson (The Sound of Music, Dangerous Corner, High Society), Noel Sullivan/Freddy(We Will Rock You, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Mark Benton/Andre (Hairspray, The Railway Children, Hobson's Choice, Waterloo Road) and Carley Stenson/Chrisine Colgate(Legally Blonde, Shrek the Musical)  at venues up to and including Oxford New Theatre.

Further casting for the production, which had a successful West End run starring Robert Lindsay, Alex Gaumond. Katherine Kingsley and Bonnie Langford is to be announced.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to Tour next year

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is currently booking at the Savoy Theatre until 7th March next year.

It is then going on the UK tour.  The dates I have so far are 5-16th May/Birmingham New Alexandra: 20th-30th May/ Opera House Manchester: 9th-20th June/Sunderland Empire: 23rd June-4th July/ Glasgow King's : 7th-18th July/Liverpool Empire: 21st-25th July /Torquay Princess; 28th July-1st August/Stoke Regent:  4-8th August/Oxford New Theatre, 15th-26th September/Edinbugh,Playhouse

More dates and casting news to follow  

Alex Gaumond to replace Rufus Hound in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Actor and comedian  Rufus Hound has left  the production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre  with West End leading man Alex Gaumond  taking over the role of Freddy Benson from November 11th. In the meantime, an understudy will play the part. Gaumond has just finished playing Miss Trunchbull in Matilda

There is speculation about the reasons for Hound's sudden derparture. Hound (One Man Two Guv'nors, Celebrity Juice, and the winner of the recent Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special) is now reportedly working on a film. Prior to his departure, the actor was out of the show for a week due to illness, from which he has since recovered. But today the  Mail speculates Hound's absences and now permanent exit from the show have more to do with off-stage "chemistry" between him and his co-star Robert Lindsay.

Statements from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' producers and director "wish him all the best" as Hound goes on to "pursue other opportunities"..

A spokesperson for Hound said that the actor ‘has now completed his engagement and has started filming a movie’.

The show now stars Olivier, Tony and BAFTA award winning Robert Lindsay (Me And My Girl, Becket, Oliver!, My Family) as the conman Lawrence Jameson, competing with Freddy Benson (Alex Gaumond)  for the riches and the heart of the young impressionable heiress, Christine Colgate played by Katherine Kingsley (Singin' in the Rain), who was just nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Michael Grandage's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bonnie Langford  plays Muriel Eubanks, a glamorous divorcee looking for love in Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera and Gary Wilmot  plays Andre Thibault, Beaumont-sur-Mer's Chief of Police.

Bonnie Langford and Gary Wilmot joining Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Samantha Bond is leaving Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre on 6th September.  The role of  Muriel Eubanks will tbe taken over by Bonnie Langford from 16h September.  Her musical theatre credits include  Cats, The Pirates of Penzance and Chicago and more recently  playing Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and the tour of the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5.

John Marquez (Doc Martin's PC Penhale) who plays Andre Thibault (Beaumont-sur-Mer’s Chief of Police) is also leaving and his role will be taken over by Gary Wilmot who is currently appearing in The Pajama Game.

Cast Announced for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

A new musical stage production of movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is heading for the West End next year opening at the Savoy Theatre on March 10th after a short tour to Manchester Opera House from February 12th and Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre from February 26th.

The production will be directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots: currently Broadway’s biggest award winning hit, Legally Blonde) and stars Robert Lindsay with actor and comedian Rufus Hound, Katherine Kingsley, Samantha Bond and John Marquez.

The cast is completed by Lizzy Connolly, Gavin Alex, Darren Bennett, Niamh Bracken, Lisa Bridge, Darren Carnall, Andy Conaghan, Lizzy Connolly, Phoebe Coupe, Claire Doyle, Alice Fearn, Selina Hamilton, Ian Knauer, Lisa Mathieson, Zak Nemorin, Genevieve Nicole, Javier Santos, Todd Talbot, Dominic Tribuzio, Jon Tsouras and Zara Warren.

Downton Abbey and James Bond's Samantha Bond Joins Cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

The fabulous Samantha Bond (Lady Rosamund in Downton Abbey and Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond Films) is to appear in the  musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels directed by the inimitable Jerry Mitchell at the Savoy Theatre.  This is her first West End musical co-starring alongside Robert Lindsay, Rufus Hound, Katherine Kingsley and John Marquez.

She is playing Muriel who is a wealthy American divorcee living on the French Riviera who comes into contact with the team of con artists. It also means that she will be working just down the road fro her husband Alexander Hanson who is playing Stephen Ward in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name.

Aside from playing Lady Rosamund on Downton Abbey, and starring as Miss Moneypenny in a number of  James Bond films. She has also appeared on television in Outnumbered, Midsomer Murders, The Queen, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Distant Shores, Hotel Babylon, Fanny Hill, Donovan, Brand Spanking New Show, The Bill and Mansfield Park. Her stage credits include Amy's View on Broadway and Arcadia, An Ideal Husband and What the Butler Saw in the West End.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starts previews at the Savoy on 10th March 2014, opens on 3rd April and is booking until 29th November 201 prior to a pre-West End run in Manchester and Aylesbury.

Robert Lindsay, Rufus Hound and Katherine Kingsley to star in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

A new stage production of movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is heading for the West End next year opening at the Savoy Theatre on March 10th after a short tour to Manchester Opera House from February 12th and Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre from February 26th. Tickets are on sale at  08.30 Mon 4th Nov for the Savoy.

It is being directed by Jerry Mitchell who choreographed the show in New York.  He has been working with David Yazbek (music and lyrics) and Jeffrey Lane (who wrote the book) tightening, re-writing and re-conceiving the show. Apparently Olivier award-winning designer Peter McKintosh has redesigned it from top to bottom and the first 15 minutes have been completely re-choreographed.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was not an immediate hit on Broadway because it was miscast, but when the cast changes Jonathan Pryce teamed up with Norbert Lutz their chemistry meant it became a hit.

Michell explained: "It’s completely different from what we did on Broadway. That was important to get it right here"

Casting to date is Robert Lindsay who is returning to musicals after 16 years (most notably playing Bill Snibson in the  London revival of Me and My Girl for which he won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award on Broadway). His co-stars are actor and comedian Rufus Hound (One Man Two Guvnors) and West End leading lady Katherine Kingsley who is currently playing Helena in Michael Grandage’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with musical theatre credits  including Piaf, Aspects Of Love and Singin’ In The Rain.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is about a trio of sophisticated con artists living it up on the French Riviera. The 1988 film starred Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Lindsay will play debonair Lawrence Jamieson who believes in conning corrupt, rich people out of their money so he can spend it on culture and a lavish lifestyle. Hound is his sidekick small time cocky American hustler and Freddy Benson and Katherine Kingsley is Janet Colgate (a naive American heiress).

Jerry Mitchell Productions is presenting the musical in partnership with producer Howard Panter and the Ambassador Theatre Group.

Have to say with the director, casting and choice of theatre I am more than a little excited about this ....

Tickets for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy on sale 08.30 Mon 4 November