Peter Polycarpou and Tracie Bennett lead cast for Mrs Henderson Presents in Toronto

Peter Polycarpou is playing the role of Vivian Van Damm opposite Tracie Bennett in Mrs Henderson Presents when it tours to Toronto and plays at The Royal Alexandra Theatre from March 12th  to April 23rd.

The cast includes Evelyn Hoskins, Matt Slack, Matthew Malthouse, Adam Rhys Charles, Jenny Huxley Golden, Tricia Adele Turner, Kimberly Powell, Alex Delamere, Grace Mckee, Ross Carpenter, Fenton Gray, Piers Bate, Lucy Carter, Maria Garrett, Lauren Hall, Ross Carpenter, Mark Prendergast, Matthew Jeans,Tania Newton, Anne Smith, Simon Green and Piers Bate.

Jamie Foreman joins full cast of Mrs Henderson Presents

Full casting has just been announced for the hit new British musical MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, opening at the Noel Coward Theatre on Tuesday 9 February 2016, for a strictly limited season.

Joining the previously announced Tracie Bennett as ‘Laura Henderson’, Ian Bartholomew as ‘Vivian Van Damm’ and Emma Williams as ‘Maureen’ will be Jamie Foreman as ‘Arthur’, Robert Hands as ‘Cromer’, Matthew Malthouse as ‘Eddie’, Samuel Holmes as ‘Bertie’, Katie Bernstein as ‘Peggy’, Lizzy Connolly as ‘Doris’, Lauren Hood as ‘Vera’ and Liz Ewing as Lady Conway. The rest of the company includes Sarah Bakker, Andrew Bryant,  Rhiannon Chesterman, Alexander Delamere, Emily Goodenough, Victoria Hay, Oliver Jackson, Ian Gareth Jones,  Katrina Kleve, Lauren Logan, Tania Newton, Sam O’Rourke, Neil Stewart and Dickie Wood,

Jamie Foreman is probably best known as Derek Branning in EastEnders. His other TV credits include Lenny in Birds of a Feather. His many film credits include Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist opposite Ben Kingsley, Duke in Layer Cake, Gary Oldman’s Nil by Mouth, Elizabeth and Sleepy Hollow

Mrs Henderson Presents to transfer into Novello Theatre next February

The excellent critially acclaimed  Bath Theatre Royal production of  the musical Mrs Henderson Presents  is to move  into the the West End for a strictly limited season,  starting  previews at the Noel Coward Theatre on February 9th and opening on February 16th, 2016. 1

Starring Tracie Bennett as Laura Henderson and directed by Terry Johnson, the show has lyrics by Don Black and music George Fenton, with the film's original music director, Simon Chamberlain, returning for the stage production.  Choreography is by Andrew Wright with set design by Tim Shortall, costume design by Paul Wills and lighting design by Ben Ormerod

The cast also includes Ian Bartholomew as Vivian Van Damm and Emma Williams as Maureen. More casting o be announced.

Mrs Henderson Presents is based on Stephen Frears' 2005 film, which starred Bob Hoskins, Will Young and  Judi Dench as 'Laura Henderson', who created a vaudeville show featuring all-nude young women at the Windmill Theatre in London during "a time of great censorship, film of the same name starred Dame Judi Dench and WIll Young.  It is set in 1937 London, 1937, and recently-widowed eccentric, Laura Henderson, is looking for a way of spending her time and money when her attention falls on a run-down former cinema in Great Windmill Street. Hiring feisty impresario Vivian Van Damm to look after the newly renovated Windmill Theatre, the improbable duo present a bill of non-stop variety acts. But as war looms something more is required to boost morale and box office... When Mrs Henderson comes up with the idea of The Windmill Girls -- glamorous young women posing as nude statues -- audiences flock.

And as the Blitz hits London, The Windmill provides a refuge for all, boasting the spirit-raising slogan "We Never Close".

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Tracie Bennett joins cast of New Musical Mrs Henderson Presents

Updated 6th July: It has just been announced that Tracie Bennett has taken over the the title  role in  this production as Janie Dee has withdrawn for personal reasons. 

Tracie Bennett is probably best known for her work in the theatre. She received Olivier Awards for her performances in the musicals She Loves Me and Hairspray, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Judy Garland in the Broadway production of the biopic play End of the Rainbow. She appeared in She Loves Me at the Savoy Theatre in 1994, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award as Best Supporting Performance in a Musical.

 Her television debut was in the drama series ‘Going Out’, before appearing in ‘Coronation Street’ between 1982 and 1984 as Sharon Gaskell, the Fairclough's foster daughter. She returned to the role in 1999.

Updated 6th March: Olivier-award winning actress Janie Dee has been cast in the title role  portraying Laura Henderson, who ran the Windmill Theatre in Soho between the World Wars (The role was played by Dame Judi Dench in the film version).  Emma Williams  (who took part in the workshop) is Maureen, the young woman she  helps.

The rest of the cast includes Sarah Bakker, Katie Bernstein, Rhiannan Chesterman, Lizzy Connolly, Victoria Hay, Samuel Holmes, Lauren Hood and Matthew Malthouse. The male leads played in the film by Bob Hoskins and  Will Young are still to be announced.

The strong creative team is led by Terry Johnson who has written the book and will direct , with lyrics by Don Black and music by Simon Chambelain and George Fenton who also wrote the music for the film with choreography by Andrew Wright and design by Tim Shortall

It's 1937 London  and the story focuses on how the Windmill Theatre was turned into a money-making venue in the Thirties with a spot of nudity and  provides a refuge for all, boasting the spirit-raising slogan "We Never Close".

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New Musical Mrs Henderson Presents to open at Bath next Summer

Theatre Royal Bath is to  host to a try-out run of the new musical Mr Henderson Presents from 14th August 2015.

Based on Stephen Frears' 2005 film, which starred Bob Hoskins, Will Young and  Judi Dench as 'Laura Henderson', who created a vaudeville show featuring all-nude young women at the Windmill Theatre in London during "a time of great censorship," says producer Michael Harrison.

The film's producer Norma Heyman is a backing the musical alongside John Reid and Harrison with  music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain with lyrics by Don Black and choreography by Andrew Wright. Terry Johnson will direct  from his own adaptation of Martin Sherman's screenplay.
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