Stephanie McKeon (Anna) and Samantha Barks (Elsa). Picture: Julia Kennedy © Disney
Fans will have to wait a little longer for the eagerly-anticipated West End debut of Tony-nominated musical Frozen following a decision to delay the large-scale production for a second time in the wake of the current national lockdown.
Originally due to skate into the refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the autumn of 2020, the Disney Theatrical Production had been due to open in April this year with tickets on sale for performances through to October.
In a message posted on the production’s website, the producers announced the decision to postpone the show’s London opening and to take the show temporarily off-sale in order to reassess the production’s ‘timeline’.
Promising a show that will ‘be worth the wait’, the producers have committed to announcing new dates and re-opening the box office as soon as they are ‘safely able to without current social distancing regulations’.
As previously announced West End and Broadway star Samantha Barks (Les Misérables, Queen’s Theatre, Pretty Woman, Chicago and New York) will take on the much-coveted role of Elsa alongside Stephanie McKeon (Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Aldwych Theatre, The Commitments, Palace Theatre) as Anna.
They will be joined by Obioma Ugoala (Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre Motown, Shaftesbury Theatre) as Kristoff, Craig Gallivan (School of Rock, New London Theatre, Billy Elliot, Victoria Palace Theatre) as Olaf, Oliver Ormson (Back to the Future The Musical, Manchester Opera House, High Fidelity, Turbine Theatre) as Hans and Richard Frame (The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre, Promises, Promises, Sheffield Theatres) as Weselton.
Australian film actress and stuntwoman Mikayla Jade (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The Old Guard) will make her professional and West End debut as Sven, she will share the role with Ashley Birchall (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oklahoma! Kilworth House).
The cast will also include: Jeremy Batt, Cameron Burt, Lauren Chia, Laura Emmitt, Emily-Mae (Bulda), Danielle Fiamanya, Hannah Fairclough, Matt Gillett, Joe Griffiths-Brown, Emily Lane, Justin-Lee Jones, Jason Leigh Winter, Jacob Maynard, Leisha Mollyneaux, Gabriel Mokake (King Agnarr), Sarah O’Connor, Jemma Revell, Jacqui Sanchez (Queen Iduna), Jak Skelly (Oaken/Bishop), Jake Small, Isabel Snaas, Joshua St. Clair (Pabbie), Monica Swayne and Anna Woodside.
One of the hottest tickets on Broadway since its opening in March 2018, the lavish stage musical version of the highest-grossing animated film of all time had been chosen as the opening production for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane when the historic venue reopened following a £60 million renovation and restoration project.
With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee, director Michael Grandage’s production features set and costume designs by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Natasha Katz, choreography by Rob Ashford, sound design by Peter Hylenski, video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, and musical supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus.
All ticketholders will be contacted directly in chronological order with the offer of a revised performance date with the same seats. If the new date is not suitable the buyer will have the opportunity to request another date or a refund.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, Frozen caught the imagination of audiences across the world from the moment it was first released into cinemas in 2013. The double Oscar winner was written and co-directed by Lee (with Chris Buck) with music and lyrics by Anderson-Lopez and Lopez.
Angela Thomas
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