Kira Malou and Michael O’Reilly in Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage. Picture: Mark Senior
Michael O’Reilly and Kira Malou will reprise their performances as Johnny and Baby for the 2023 Dominion Theatre encore run of Dirty Dancing.
O’Reilly (West Side Story, Leicester Curve, Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies, Theatre Royal, Plymouth) who made his professional debut as Johnny in the production’s 2018 tour will reunite with both his Dominion Theatre leading lady Malou (Fame, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, Penny on Mars, Disney Plus) and the production’s Penny Johnson, Charlotte Gooch (Singin’ in the Rain, UK tour).
They will be joined by fellow returnees, Georgina Castle (Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Lisa Houseman, alongside Lynden Edwards (A Little Night Music, Garrick Theatre) as Jake Houseman, Jackie Morrison (The Last Ship, US tour) as Marjorie Houseman, Colin Charles (We Will Rock You, Dominion Theatre) as Tito Suarez, Michael Remick (Follies, National Theatre) as Max Kellerman and Tony Stansfield (Little Women, Hope Mill Theatre) as Mr Schumacher.
Cast newcomers will include Danny Colligan (Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre) as Billy Kostecki, Alastair Crosswell (Singin’ in the Rain, UK tour) as Neil Kellerman and Lydia Sterling, who will make her West End debut as Elizabeth.
The cast will be completed by Chrissy Brooke, Inez Budd, Lily Laight, Hollie-Ann Lowe, Callum Fitzgerald, Nathan Ryles, Joel Benjamin, Shaquille Brush, Carly Miles, Ben Middleton, Lee Nicholson, Ayden Morgan, Miles Russell, Tom Parsons, Morgan Burgess, Tom Mussell and Christopher Fry. Charlotte Coggin will also return after making her surprise West End debut in the production in early 2022 when she went from working as an usher at the Dominion to starring on the Dominion stage overnight.
As previously announced, the hit production will follow its record-breaking West End season at the Dominion earlier this year, with a return season from 21 January until 29 April 2023.
Announcing the encore run, producer Karl Sydow said: “We can’t wait to bring this amazing show back to the Dominion Theatre following its incredible audience reception earlier this year. Now more than ever, theatre needs the excitement and joy that Dirty Dancing brings – you’ll have the time of your life!”
Written by Eleanor Bergstein, (the script writer of the phenomenally successful 1987 film) the production which is directed by Federico Bellone and choreographed by Austin Wilks, features the much-loved characters and original dialogue from the iconic film, along with extra scenes added for the stage version. The creative team for the production includes lighting designer Valerio Tiberi, sound designer Chris Whybrow and supervising musical director Richard John.
Since its Australian debut in 2004, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage has been breaking box office records across the world. Productions have been staged in the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout Europe.
The show arrived in the UK at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2006 with a record-breaking advance of £15 million, making it the fastest ever selling show in West End theatre history. The production became the longest-running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre and played to over two million people during its five-year run.
Sell-out tours have hit the road in France, Germany and Australia. The first UK tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, which launched in 2011, took an unprecedented £42,000,000 at theatres across the country. In 2013, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage returned to the West End and played at the Piccadilly Theatre in London until 23 February 2014, prior to launching a second UK and Ireland tour.
Launching with a London Christmas season in 2016, the UK touring production of the revised version of the show (premiered in Milan in 2015) played to packed houses across the UK in 2017. The show took to the road again in September 2018.
Angela Thomas
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