Lisa Maxwell as Judy Garland in the new touring production of End of the Rainbow
Actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell will take on the central role of Judy Garland in a new touring production of Peter Quilter’s End of the Rainbow next year.
The former ‘Loose Woman’, best known for her long-running role in ITV’s The Bill, will hit the road – along with Gary Wilmot and Sam Attwater – for the tour which opens at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester in February 2016.
Set in London in 1968, End of the Rainbow focuses on the final months of the troubled star’s life as she struggles to prepare for a five-week run of shows at the famous venue The Talk of the Town.
Quilter’s work first premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2005, before playing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006. The show returned to the UK in 2010 in a new production at the Northampton Royal & Derngate, transferring to the West End the same year where it ran for six months and received four Olivier Award nominations. A Broadway run followed in 2012, where it received three Tony Award nominations.
The new touring production will be directed by artistic director of Colchester’s Mercury Theatre, Daniel Buckroyd, and designed by David Shields. The show is presented by Paul Taylor-Mills and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester in association with Coventry Belgrade Theatre.
Gary Wilmot’s musical theatre stardom began when he played Bill Snibson in the hit production of Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre. His many theatre credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (West End and tour), Oklahoma! (UK tour), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Invisible Man (Menier Chocolate Factory), Chicago (UK tour), Half a Sixpence (UK tour), HMS Pinafore and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Carmen Jones (Old Vic) and Copacabana (world premiere, Prince of Wales Theatre).
Sam Attwater will play Mickey. Attwater made his TV acting debut in 2009, playing Ricky in Hollyoaks. The following year he joined EastEnders and its online spin-off EastEnders: E20, as Leon Small. Stage credits include Brad in the 40th Anniversary tour of The Rocky Horror Show, Dreamboats and Petticoats in the West End, and the 2014 UK tour of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. He won the sixth series of ITV’s Dancing On Ice in 2011, and returned for the ‘All Stars’ series in 2014.
Ellen Verenieks will take over the role of Judy Garland for certain performances.
Tour Listings:
Colchester Mercury Theatre (February 12-20); Coventry Belgrade Theatre (February 23-27); Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (March 1-5); Bromley Churchill Theatre (March 8-12); Torquay Princess Theatre (March 15-19); Windsor Theatre Royal (March 22-26); Brighton Theatre Royal (March 29-April 2); Malvern Festival Theatre (April 5-9); Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (April 18-20); Glasgow King’s Theatre (April 26-30); Manchester Opera House (May 3-7); Billingham Forum Theatre (May 9-11); Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (May 12-14); Lichfield Garrick Theatre (May 16-18); Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House (May 19-21); Richmond Theatre (May 24-28); Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal (May 31-June 4); Woking New Theatre (June 7-11); High Wycombe Swan Theatre (June 14-18); Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre (June 21-25) and Cheltenham Everyman Theatre (June 5-July 9).
Angela Thomas
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