National Theatre’s London Tide first casting news
First casting has been revealed for the National Theatre’s London Tide, a new play with music based on Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend which will debut in the Lyttleton Theatre in April 2024.
Directed by Ian Rickson, the cast will include Brandon Grace (Much Ado About Nothing, National Theatre), Scott Karim (Oklahoma!, Chichester Festival Theatre), Bella Maclean (Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre), Tom Mothersdale (A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky, Lyric, Hammersmith), Ami Tredrea (The Crucible, National Theatre) and Peter Wight (Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre).
Dickens’ final completed novel has been re-imagined for the National Theatre stage by Ben Power with original songs by award-winning singer/songwriter PJ Harvey and Power.
The creative team also includes set and costume designer Bunny Christie, lighting designer Jack Knowles, music director Ian Ross, co-sound designers Tingying Dong and Christopher Shutt, movement director Anna Morrissey and casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor. London Tide will play the Lyttelton Theatre from 10 April until 22 June 2024.
From February 2024, the National Theatre will pilot a selected number of early evening performances at 6.30pm. This trial follows a major piece of research undertaken by the National Theatre in recent months to understand more from audiences about their post-Covid lifestyles and habits, including varying working patterns and journey times, particularly for those living outside of London.
The early evening performances will offer flexibility for audiences to make the most of their evening, with more time after curtain down to eat or to travel. The 6.30pm performances will fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a limited number available for every new production playing on the South Bank in the first half of the year.
Cast for UK premiere of Bronco Billy The Musical
Tarinn Callender will take on the title role in the UK premiere of Bronco Billy – The Musical at London’s Charing Cross Theatre early next year.
Callender (Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre, The Drifters Girl, Garrick Theatre) will join the previously announced Emily Benjamin (Cabaret, West End, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, Manchester Opera House/London Coliseum/Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto/Dominion Theatre in London) as runaway heiress Antoinette Lily.
The cast will also include: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Hex, National Theatre, Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Constance; Gemma Atkins (Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre, Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre, Wicked, Apollo Victoria) as Dee Dee; Jonathan Bourne (Nativity! The Musical, tour, The 39 Steps, Barn Theatre) as Sam; Josh Butler (recent Mountview graduate) as Lasso Leonard; Alice Croft (The Commitments, tour, But I’m a Cheerleader, Turbine) as Mitzi; Chris Jared (Amelie, Watermill/Criterion Theatre, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, tour/Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Lipton; Karen Mavundukure (Tarantino Live, Riverside Studios, The Color Purple, Curve/UK tour) as Doc; Henry Maynard (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre) as Lefty; Alexander McMorran (Heathers, The Other Palace, Come from Away, Phoenix Theatre) as Sinclair; Aharon Rayner (Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible, Great British Bake Off the Musical, Cheltenham Everyman/Noël Coward) as Joe Eagle; Helen K Wint (Oklahoma, Wyndham’s Theatre) as Lorraine and Silas Wyatt-Barke (Saving Grace, Riverside Studios, The Prince of Egypt, Dominion Theatre) as John Arlington.
Swings Kalisha Amaris (Sister Act, Frankfurt, Respect: The Aretha Franklin Songbook, West End) and David Muscat (The Many Deaths of Michael Malloy, Plymouth, The Last Ship, USA tour) complete the company.
Based on the 1980 Western comedy/drama directed by and starring Clint Eastwood and his then partner Sondra Locke, the musical features a book by the film’s writer Dennis Hackin, music and lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, with additional lyrics by Michele Brourman.
The musical received its world premiere at the Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles in 2019, winning critical acclaim and the 2020 Ovation Awards for Best Book for an Original Musical and Best Lyrics/Composition for an Original Musical.
The director of the original production and the UK premiere, Hunter Bird added: “Our show will include magic, tap dancing, lasso work, whip-cracking, gun twirling, juggling – and that’s just Act I. We’re endeavouring to make this show as joyful as possible, and this cast is the perfect group to take on that exuberant challenge. I cannot wait to be in the room with them.”
Produced by Los Angeles based Gary Grossman alongside London based Hartshorn-Hook Productions, the musical’s London debut will run from 23 January until 7 April 2024.
The creative team for the Charing Cross Theatre production will also include scenic designer Amy Jane Cook, costume designer Sarah Mercade, choreographer Alexzandra Sarmiento, lighting designer Nick Richings, sound designer Andrew Johnson, illusion designer John Bulleid, with Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of RC-Annie Ltd as fight and intimacy directors, Amber Sinclair-Case as associate director, David O as music supervisor and Danny Hackin as associate producer. Casting is by Will Burton.
Diana: The Musical London concert – full cast confirmed
Full casting has been unveiled for this December’s London concert presentation of the headline-hitting Diana: The Musical.
As previously announced, West End and Broadway star Kerry Ellis (Wicked, West End/Broadway, Anything Goes, Barbican) will play the older version of Diana who narrates the musical, as she looks back to her 19 year old self, played by Maiya Quansah-Breed (Six: The Musical, Arts Theatre, Rent, Hope Mill Theatre) with Denise Welch (Calendar Girls, UK tour, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Royal Exchange Theatre) will guest starring as The Queen.
They will be joined by Alice Fearn (Come From Away, Wicked, Les Misérables) as Camilla Parker Bowles, Andy Coxon (Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Sister Act) as Prince Charles, Jay Perry (Back to the Future, Hamilton) as James Hewitt and Aleyna Mohanraj (Annie Get Your Gun, The Secret Garden) as Sarah Spencer.
Featuring a book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics by Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan (the team behind hit musical Memphis), the concert performance at the Eventim Apollo on 4 December will mark the first time the musical has been seen live on a UK stage.
Presented by Lambert Jackson and Cuffe & Taylor, the production will be directed by RSC associate artist and associate director of Cheek By Jowl, Owen Horsley (Linck & Mulhahn, Hampstead Theatre, War of the Roses, RSC) . The creative team also includes musical director Adam Hoskins (The Secret Garden, Once in Concert).
New production of The Sound of Music to play Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2024
The Pitlochry Festival Theatre will stage a major new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music late next year. Directed by the theatre’s artistic director Elizabeth Newman, the much-loved musical will play the venue for the first time from 15 November to 22 December 2024.
The Sound of Music will be the final production in a 2024 season that also includes new productions of Footloose and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
New Wolsey debut for new co-production of The Little Shop of Horrors
The New Wolsey Theatre will partner with the Octagon Theatre Bolton, Hull Truck Theatre and Theatre By The Lake, Keswick to produce a new touring production of the hit monster musical The Little Shop of Horrors next spring.
Debuting at the Ipswich venue from 1-23 March 2024 ahead of a national tour, the new production of the musical which features music by Alan Menken and a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman will be directed by Lotte Wakeman. Following the New Wolsey run, the production will play the Theatre By The Lake in the Lake District from 27 March until 20 April 2024. Further dates and venues will be confirmed at a later date.
Landmark Theatres unveils debut production of Rent
New production company Landmark Theatres will make its debut with a new production of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent. Directed by Landmark Theatres CEO and creative director Paul Jepson with musical direction by Mark Crossland, the production will make its debut at Peterborough New Theatre (20-29 June 2024) before heading for the Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple (3-13 July 2024).
Announcing the production, Jepson said: “This is another exciting step in the evolution of Landmark Theatres. Having joined the Arts Council National Portfolio earlier this year we are thrilled to be bringing our first production to the venues we operate in North Devon and Peterborough. We are committed to creating high quality, new and exciting live entertainment to share with the communities we work in, and are looking forward to launching Rent, the much-loved rock musical, which we know will resonate with our audiences, as our first production.
“The production will provide a variety of opportunities for young creatives and touch points for schools and young people as part of our Talent Development and Participation Programmes.”
The rock musical boasts a book, music and lyrics by Larson, with musical arrangements by Steve Skinner, original concept and additional lyrics by Billy Aronson, music supervision and additional arrangements by Tim Weil, and dramaturg by Lynn Thomson.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.