Angela Thomas rounds up all the latest news in regional and touring theatre in the UK and Ireland.
Full cast for Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Leeds Playhouse has unwrapped the full cast for the venue’s eagerly awaited new production of the record-breaking Broadway smash Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical this Christmas.
As previously announced West End star Joel Montague (Hamilton, Waitress, Elf The Musical) will take on the eye-catching role in the festive family-friendly production which is due to play the venue’s Quarry Theatre from 19 November 2026 to 16 January 2027.
He will be joined by local actor Jack Arnold who will make his stage debut as Young Max and Matt Sutton (A Woman of Substance, Channel 4, Reykjavík, Hampstead Theatre) as Old Max.
The residents of Who-ville will be brought to life by a company of acclaimed performers including Alison Fitzjohn as Grandma Who, Luke Latchman as Papa Who, Sharon Wattis as Mama Who and Timothy Speyer as Grandpa Who.
The ensemble company features Tom Ansell, Sèyí Awe, Kathryn Barnes, Emily Barnett-Salter, Jessica Barton, Jack Campbell, Zephaniah Gould, Harumi Maeda, Cara Gabrielle Thomas and Jacob Whawell.
The production will also feature a company of 14 young performers, selected from an open casting call launched by Leeds Playhouse and children’s casting directors Keston & Keston earlier this year. Hundreds of young people from across the North of England were invited to submit self-tapes. Following workshops and recalls, Aba Batista, Lulu Barker, Jack Booth, Rudy Bragg, Zane Chaba, Minnie Day, Issa Leach, Ellie McArdle, Oliver Maurice, Karis Musongole, Cole Nicholson, Harper Philpott, Haiden Sihapanya and Isabel Zhang have been selected to join the company and will bring the children of Who-ville to life throughout the festive run.
Produced in association with Running Subway, the produced is directed by the Playhouse’s artistic director Tom Wright.
Due to popular demand two additional dates have now been added on Sundays 3 and 10 January, both at 12.30pm. There will be Relaxed and Dementia Friendly performances as well as educational workshops delivered by the Playhouse’s award-winning Playhouse Connect team.
The musical version of the classic tale of the Great Green Party Pooper and the Christmas-loving Whos has music and a book by Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason.
Debbie McGee to play Miss Lynch in Grease on tour
Producer Colin Ingram has announced the first piece of casting news for next year’s new UK and Ireland tour of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s Grease The Musical.
Marking 50 years in showbusiness and the release of her autobiography A Magical Life, former Strictly finalist Debbie McGee will step into the role of Miss Lynch in the production which is directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips.
As previously announced, the 2027 tour will launch at the Theatre Royal Plymouth from 23 April 2027. The production will then visit Cardiff, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Leeds, Belfast, Swansea, Southampton, Oxford, Liverpool, Bristol, Darlington, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Sunderland, Nottingham, Birmingham, Norwich and Hull.
The tour will now also visit Dublin, Blackpool and Manchester, with further tour stops and casting to be announced soon.
Produced by Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions and Curve, the show is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, with additional songs by John Farrar.
Full cast for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
West End stars Emma Salvo (Come From Away, The Toxic Avenger) and Sophie-Louise Dann (The Girls, Wicked) will complete the 10-strong cast for the world premiere of the first fully stage production of British musical The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at HOME Manchester this Christmas.
They will join Imogen Craig (Starter for Ten) as Eva, Kai Davies (Clarkston), as Erik, Mateo Oxley (The 39 Steps) as Fabian and Mark Rice-Oxley (Blood Brothers) as Johan. The ensemble includes Jacob Beresford (Back to the Future: The Musical), Mountview graduate Adriana Da Cunha, Sharlise Fitzgerald (professional debut) and Josh Rosewood (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).
Inspired by the 18th century poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice has book and lyrics by Richard Hough (Our Man In Havana, Watermill; Firebird at the King”s Head), music by Drama Desk nominated composer Alexander S Bermange (I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical) and is directed by Kirk Jameson (Madagascar The Musical, Song from Far Away).
The production will run from 27 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
The show is produced by Olivier Award winner James Seabright, who commissioned the musical in 2015 and previously presented the concert and digital versions.
Full cast for Glasgow’s Scrooge The Musical
The full company has been confirmed for the Glasgow SEC Armadillo’s Christmas production Leslie Bricusse’s Scrooge The Musical.
As previously announced Marti Pellow will star as Scrooge alongside Karen Dunbar as The Ghost of Christmas Past and Gavin Mitchell as Jacob Marley in the production which is due to play the Glasgow venue for five weeks from 12 December 2026 to 10 January 2027.
The Thom Southerland-directed version of legendary British composer and lyricist Bricusse’s reimagining of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will also feature George Acworth who will make his professional debut as Harry; with Wendy Mae Brown (Once on This Island, Waitress) as Mrs Fezziwig; Martin Callaghan (Chicago, Chess) as The Ghost of Christmas Present; Valerie Cutko (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) as The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; Kristofer Harding (Blood Brothers, Grease) as Mr Fezziwig; Kelly Mathieson (The Phantom of the Opera) as Isabel; Ruairidh McDonald (Mary Poppins, Half a Sixpence) as Bob Cratchit; SuRie (The Last Five Years) as Mrs Cratchit; Samuel Thomas (101 Dalmatians the Musical, Death Takes a Holiday) as Young Ebby; Shona White (Mamma Mia!, The Rocky Horror Show); and Gabriella Williams (Rock of Ages, White Christmas) as Miss Dilber.
Completing the adult company are Caitlin Anderson (Wicked, Victoria Apollo Theatre), Benedict Landsbert-Noon (Little Women, UK tour), TJ Lloyd (My Fair Lady, Chichester Festival Theatre), Janet Mooney (The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre), Natalie Moore-Williams (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, West End), Tom Norman (War Horse, National Theatre), Clare Rickard (Cats, London Palladium/UK and European tour), Duncan Shelton (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre), Masimba Ushe (Porgy and Bess, Grange Park Opera) and Kacey Wadge (To Maury with Love, Theatre Royal Dury Lane). TJ Lloyd will also serve as resident director, and Clare Rickard will be dance captain.
The young ensemble includes Louis Davies (Tiny Tim Cratchit), Percy Tulley (Tiny Tim Cratchit), Lily Hanna (Kathy Cratchit), Sebastian Cervenec (Boy), Tobias Cervenec (Boy), Frankie Farmer (Kathy Cratchit), Liv Kelly (Martha Cratchit), Isla Tawse (Martha Cratchit), Noah McNamee (Peter Cratchit), Shlok Sardar (Peter Cratchit), Connie Anderson, Cianna Bentall, Cara Blease, Ava Rosa Castro Paterson, Harrison Cattell, Lily Chisholm, Sophia Duffie, Teddy Frew Leyden, Niamh Lee, Theo Miranda, Kai Morris, Ella Wallace, Hadley Walton and Callan Wilson.
Cast for Watermill Christmas return of Michael Morpurgo’s Pinocchio musical
The Watermill Theatre have confirmed for the cast for the Christmas return of acclaimed musical adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Pinocchio.
Adapted by Morpurgo’s regular collaborator, Simon Reade with music and lyrics by Chris Larner, Morpurgo’s much-loved children’s novel which retells Carlo Collodi’s classic story through the eyes of Pinocchio, is due to play an encore festive run at the Newbury venue from 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
The family-friendly production will feature a number of returning cast members including Christopher Bianchi (I’m Sorry Prime Minister: I Can’t Quite Remember, Barn Theatre, Of Mice and Men, The Torch Theatre) as Geppetto, Fred Double (Much Ado About Nothing, Watermill Theatre, Wuthering Heights, Wise Children/DeLaMar Theatre) as Cricket, Eddy Payne (Macbeth/Romeo & Juliet, Orange Tree Theatre and Guildford Shakespeare Company, Little Women/Romeo & Juliet/Stig of the Dump, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre) as Cat and Jacoba Williams (The Frogs, Kiln Theatre/Royal & Derngate, The Fir Tree/A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Carabiniere.
Jax Guerrero (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Lionsgate Pictures, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Shakespeare’s Globe) will join the cast to play Pinocchio, alongside James Hall (Bloody Marys, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sleeping Beauty, Central Theatre Chatham) as Onstage MD, Megan Keaveny (Much Ado About Nothing, RSC, Is This Thing On, UK tour) as Good Fairy and Onstage Swing and Polly Lister (The Memory of Water, Bolton Octagon, Oliver Twist, Derby Theatre) as Signora Geppetto and Fox. The piece is co-directed by Indiana Lown-Collins and Elle While.
Nottingham Playhouse to stage world premiere of Be My Baby: The Musical
The world premiere of Amanda Whittington’s Be My Baby: The Musical will be the final production of the Nottingham Playhouse’s spring/summer 2027 programme.
Directed by the Playhouse’s artistic director Adam Penford, the musical version of Whittington’s (Ladies Day, Fishermen’s Friends: The Musical) acclaimed play will run from 31 May to 26 June 2027.
Featuring some of the most enduringly popular songs from the 1960s including ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’, ‘Alfie’, ‘The Locomotion’ and ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, Whittington’s work shines a light on the forced adoption scandal of the period.
Singin’ in the Rain UK and Ireland tour cast announced
Casting has been confirmed for the upcoming new UK and Ireland tour of Singin’ in the Rain.
After starring in international touring productions of the classic musical Grant Almirall (Jersey Boys, Chicago) will return to the role of silent movie star Don Lockwood opposite Nicole-Lily Baisden (Top Hat, 42nd Street) as chorus girl Kathy Seldon with Matthew Maddison (South Pacific, Hello, Dolly!) returning to the role of Lockwood’s best friend Cosmo Brown after playing the exuberant character on tour in China.
The role of the vocally-challenged Lina Lamont will be shared by Natalie Anderson (Fat Friends The Musical, Wicked) and former Strictly Come Dancing favourite Karen Hauer (Stepping Out, Burn the Floor).
Wendi Peters (Sister Act The Musical, Big The Musical) will play gossip columnist and radio announcer Dora Bailey. Peters is scheduled to play the role of Dora Bailey until 3 July 2027. Further casting for the role will be announced at a later date.
The company will be completed by Charlie Bishop, Grace Chan, Ross Chisari, Stan Doughty, Barry Drummond, William Elijah-Lewis, Maria Garrett, Alyn Hawke, Megan Jade-Johnson, Ellis Linford-Pill, Jeremy Lloyd, Brontë Macmillan, Chloe Malek, Greta McKinnon, Melissa Mese, Ben Middleton, Grace May Parry, Roan Pronk, Elly Shaw, Jack Skelton and Catrin Thomas.
Presented by Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church Productions, the Chichester Festival Theatre and Stage Entertainment production, Singin’ in the Rain will play a Christmas season at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 26 November 2026 until 16 January 2027 before the tour launches at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley from 28 January until 6 February 2027. The extensive tour will include an encore summer season at London’s Sadler’s Wells from 2 June until 3 July 2027.
Presented by Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church Productions, the Chichester Festival Theatre and Stage Entertainment production is directed by Jonathan Church, with Olivier Award-nominated choreography by Andrew Wright and additional choreography by Jayne Elster.
The 2027 tour will also visit Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (9-13 February), Grand Opera House, Belfast (16-20 February), Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (23-27 February), Sunderland Empire (2-6 March), Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (9-13 March), Orchard Theatre, Dartford (16-20 March), Milton Keynes Theatre (23-27 March), Leeds Grand Theatre (30 March to 3 April), New Victoria Theatre, Woking (6-10 April), Empire Theatre, Liverpool (13-17 April), King’s Theatre, Glasgow (20-24 April), Wycombe Swan (27 April to 1 May), Edinburgh Playhouse (4-8 May), Birmingham Hippodrome (11-15 May), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (25-29 May), Norwich Theatre Royal (6-10 July), Lowry, Salford (20-31 July), Congress Theatre, Eastbourne (3-7 August), Nottingham Theatre Royal (10-14 August) and New Theatre, Cardiff (24 August to 4 September).
Pitlochry Festival Theatre UK debut for CEILIDH
New immersive musical CEILIDH will receive its UK premiere as part of Alan Cumming’s inaugural season as artistic director of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Written by the Scottish writing team Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Noisemaker) and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, the production will play the celebrated Scottish Highland theatre from 7-17 October. The production will then head for London where it will play Shoreditch Town Hall for a four-week residency ahead of a UK tour.
The cast is led by Scott Gilmour as Ramsay, Kyle Gardiner as Alternate Ramsay, David Rankine as Leo, Kirsty Findlay as Euna, George Drennan as Older Leo, Annie Grace as Older Euna/Lady Buchanan/Moira, Star Penders as Granny Maclavaney/Maria, Rori Hawthorn as Rowan, Jerome Lincoln as Lucas, Laura Lovemore as Yvonne, Charlie West as Fiddles/Duncan the Stout/Darren and Harry Ward as Dave/Lord Buchanan, with Leo Shak as Ensemble, Elinor Peregrin as Ensemble, Helen Logan as Ensemble and Robin MacKenzie as Piper/Ensemble.
Cast and creatives for Royal Exchange Theatre’s A Little Night Music
Michelle Gomez and Michael D. Xavier will make their Royal Exchange Theatre debuts in the Manchester venue’s upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim’s evocative A Little Night Music.
BAFTA nominee Gomez (Dr Who, BBC, Boeing Boeing, National Theatre) will play Desiree Armfeldt opposite double Olivier Award nominee Xavier (Sunset Boulevard/Prince of Broadway, Broadway) as Fredrik Egerman in the production which is due to run from 5 December 2026 to 30 January 2027.
Gomez and Xavier will be joined by: Gillian Bevan (Cymbeline, Royal Shakespeare Company, Hamlet, Royal Exchange) as Madame Armfeldt; Marley Fenton (Hadestown, Lyric Theatre, Hamilton, UK and Ireland tour) as Henrik Egerman, Liv Andrusier (Martin Guerre, The Old Vic, RIDE, Southwark Playhouse) as Anne Egerman; Oliver Thornton (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Palace Theatre; Starlight Express, UK tour) as Count Carl-Magnus Malcom; WhatsOnStage Award winner Courtney Bowman (Kinky Boots, London Coliseum/UK and European tour, Pretty Woman, Savoy Theatre) as Petra; Laura Harrison (Wicked, Apollo Theatre, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre) as Countess Charlotte Malcolm, Kaya Farrugia (Kinky Boots, London Coliseum, There’s No Place Like Home, Lyric Theatre) as Fredrika Armfeldt; Esme Laudat (Just For One Day, Shaftesbury Theatre, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Mrs Anderssen (Quintet); Carolina Alegria (professional debut) as Mrs Nordstrom; Michael Robert-Lowe (The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre, Cats, European and international tour) as Mr Lindquist (Quintet); Sam Kipling (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Shaftesbury Theatre, The Astonishing Adventures of Pinocchio, Hertford Theatre) as Mr Erlanson; Monique Young (Extraordinary Women, Jermyn Street Theatre, Barnum, UK tour) as Mrs Segstrom.
The cast is completed by David Ouch (Death Note, Barbican Theatre; Titanique, Criterion Theatre/Lido2Paris) and Chloe Taylor (The Phantom of the Opera, international tour, Blood Brothers, West End and UK tour) as Ensemble.
Directed by artistic director Selina Cartmell, the creative team for the penultimate production in the Royal Exchange’s 50th anniversary season also includes Matthew Malone, who returns for a second time this season following Fun Home, as music supervisor, music director & orchestrator. World renowned, Manchester-born choreographer and director Arlene Phillips will make her debut at the Royal Exchange Theatre as choreographer of the production.
With music and lyrics by Sondheim, a book by Hugh Wheeler and original orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, A Little Night Music debuted on Broadway in 1973.
Poor ticket sales halt Trainspotting tour
The UK tour of the new musical version of Irvine Welsh’s best-selling novel Trainspotting has been shelved due to low ticket sales.
Written by Welsh and directed and developed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the musical began its world premiere run at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on 15 July.
Following the London run, the UK tour had been due to open at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 19 October before visiting Sheffield, Manchester, York, Hull, Ipswich, Birmingham, Leeds, Blackpool, Stoke, Aberdeen , Nottingham, Cardiff, Southend, Bradford, Oxford, Sunderland, Dunfermline, Brighton and Glasgow. The tour was due to end with an encore run at the Edinburgh Playhouse in March 2027.
The cancellation was announced in a statement issued by the production’s producers.
Leicester debut for musical inspired by Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller’s love story
The turbulent love story of Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe and American literary great Arthur Miller is the inspiration for new musical Misfits Together.
Created by Dan Smith (music and lyrics), Ralph Pelleymounter (music and lyrics) and Charlotte Bogard Macleod (book), the musical will receive its world premiere at Leicester Curve’s Studio Theatre from 4 September to 2 October 2027.
Presented by Curve with Tila Arts, the production will be directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster.
The production will be the first fully-staged musical from Smith, the Grammy Award-nominated, Brit Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer and record producer best known as the lead singer and creative force of the band Bastille. Frequent collaborator Pelleymounter, the singer, songwriter and frontman of band To Kill a King also co-wrote Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s ballad ‘Perfume’ and won Best Original Score at the IndieX Film Festival for Eugene Vs Humanity. The pair co-wrote the title track of Bastille’s number one album ‘Give Me The Future’ while their western concept album ‘Annie Oakley Hanging’ has recently been signed into a development deal with Golden Globe-winning film producer Shannon McIntosh (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Hateful Eight).
Founder of The Script Factory, one the Britain’s leading development organisations for filmmakers, Bogard Macleod’s work includes Still Avoiding Tomorrow – a unique immersive theatre experience with live music from Bastille.
The musical’s score has also been recorded as a studio album produced by multi-instrumentalist Will Bloomfield. The album features guest performances throughout from Bastille collaborator Moira Mack alongside long-time Bastille live guitarist, Charlie Barnes and the voice of new artist, Ruti.
Picture: Mark Senior
Cast revealed for Back to the Future The Musical national tour
The full cast has been confirmed for the first national tour of the multi-award-winning Back to the Future The Musical.
As previously announced Tony Award-winning stage and screen star Roger Bart (You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown/The Producers/Young Frankenstein, Broadway) will reprise his acclaimed performance as Doc Brown when the tour launches at the Bristol Hippodrome from 8 October to 21 November.
Originally due to also play the Christmas season at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 2 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, Bart will also now play Doc Brown at the Liverpool Empire (12 January to 6 February 2027). Brian Conley (9 to 5 The Musical, Savoy Theatre, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, London Palladium) will reprise his performance as the ultimate eccentric inventor when tour plays Milton Keynes Theatre from 9-27 March 2027.
Both Bart and Conley will appear alongside Australian rising star Axel Duffy (Oklahoma!, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Grease The Musical) as Marty McFly. Duffy previously played Marty opposite Bart’s Doc Brown in the Australian production.
They will be joined by James Oliver as George McFly, Danielle Rose as Lorraine Baines, Brandon Lee Sears as Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry, Toby Shellard as Biff Tannen, Tash Bacarese-Hamilton as Jennifer Parker, Rhys Owen as Strickland, Katrina Stenning as Linda McFly and Blake Jordan as Dave McFly.
The company will be completed by Chloe Bell, Nicole Carlisle, Tilly Ducker, Rebecca French, Tia Gyngell, Kai Harris, Katie Hutton, Keir Hylands, Arthur Janes, Stephen Lewis-Johnston, Zachary Miller, George Olney, Trézel Sergeant and Lashane Williams.
At select performances Arthur Janes will play the role of Marty McFly.
Following Milton Keynes Theatre (9-27 February 2027), the tour will visit Birmingham Hippodrome (9 March to 10 April 2027), Sunderland Empire (13 April to 8 May 2027), Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (11 May to 5 June 2027), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (8 June to 3 July 2027), Manchester Opera House (13 July to 21 August 2027), Theatre Royal, Plymouth (24 August to 11 September 2027) and Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (19 October to 13 November 2027). Further venues will be announced at a later date,
Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, Back to the Future The Musical is the brainchild of Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and the creators of the much-loved time-travelling film series, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale.
Featuring a book by Gale along with new music and lyrics by the film’s composer Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, the stage musical also includes songs from the film including Huey Lewis and the News’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Power of Love’. Director John Rando heads the creative team.
Barn’s Million Dollar Quartet to tour UK in 2027
The Barn Theatre’s hit production of the Tony Award-winning rock ‘n’ roll musical Million Dollar Quartet will follow its current London transfer season by embarking on a major UK tour in 2027.
Directed by Jonathan Boyle, the hit production plays The Arts at Marble Arch: Powered by TodayTix until 6 December. The London season includes a performance on 4 December marking the 70th anniversary of the legendary 1956 recording session that inspired the show.
The 2027 tour will launch at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff (26-30 January), before heading for Cliffs Pavilion in Southend (3-6 February), Liverpool Playhouse (9-13 February), Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow (15-20 February), Churchill Theatre, Bromley (22-27 February), Ipswich Regent (2-6 March), Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham (8-13 March), Darlington Hippodrome (16-20 March), Alhambra Theatre in Bradford (22-27 March), Theatre Royal Windsor (30 March-3 April), Derby Theatre (5-10 April), Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne (12-17 April), Wyvern Theatre in Swindon (19-24 April), His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (4-8 May), Kings Theatre, Portsmouth (10-15 May), BEAM, Hertford (18-22 May), The Sands Centre, Carlisle (24-29 May), Crewe Lyceum (31 May to 5 June), Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (8-13 June), Fareham Live (14-19 June), Winter Gardens Blackpool (22-26 June) and Chelmsford Theatre (28 June to 3 July). The final performances will be at Malvern Theatres (12-17 July).
Darren Day (Grease, The Rocky Horror Show) will continue to reprise his performance as rock ‘n’ roll legend Sam Phillips for the tour. Further casting will be confirmed at a later date.
Cast for Curve’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Made at Curve favourite Jonny Fines will play Willy Wonka in Leicester Curve’s eagerly-awaited Christmas production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical.
Fines (The Wizard of Oz, My Beautiful Laundrette, An Officer and a Gentleman) will play the ultimate chocolatier alongside Lucas Kerr, Jett Moises, William Stafford and Theo Wake who will share the role of Charlie Bucket.
Charlie’s Grandpa Joe will be played by David-Michael Johnson (Starlight Express, international tour, We Will Rock You, UK tour) while Curve leading lady Molly Lynch will return to Leicester to play Mrs Bucket after previously appearing in Made at Curve productions of My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music.
The role of Violet Beauregarde will be shared by Serei Knight-Francis, Shamiso Nyamuda and Tida Nyamuda alongside Lejaun Sheppard (Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre, TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre) as Mr Beauregarde.
Kyrelle Lammy, Leo Hollingsworth and Samuel Smith will share the role of Mike Teavee with Rachel Izen returning to Curve to play Mrs Teavee after appearing in productions of Billy Elliot, The Sound of Music and Kinky Boots.
Matilda Hennessy, Rose Jammeh and Sophie Purnell will play Veruca Salt alongside Darren Bennett (Titanique, Criterion Theatre, Grease, Curve/Dominion Theatre/UK tour) as Mr Salt.
Augustus Gloop will be played by Thomas Burton, George Consterdine and Benjamin Dalton while Lizzie Bea (Sister Act, UK tour, Hairspray, London Coliseum) will play Mrs Gloop.
The cast will also include Michelle Cornelius (The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre) as Grandma Josephine, Thea Jo Wolfe (The Mad Ones, The Other Palace) as Grandma Georgina, Samuel Sarpong-Broni (Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre) as Grandpa George, Liam Doyle (Kinky Boots, Curve/UK, Ireland and Europe tours/London Coliseum) as Jerry, Sinead Kenny (The Producers, Garrick Theatre) as Cherry and Aisha Davis (The Harder They Come, Theatre Royal Stratford East) as Mrs Green.
The ensemble will include Elsie Buckley (Death Note The Musical, Barbican Theatre), Ru Fisher (Kinky Boots, Curve/UK, Ireland and Europe tours/London Coliseum), Liam McEvoy (Kinky Boots, Curve/UK, Ireland and Europe tours/London Coliseum), Billy Medlin (Jack and the Beanstalk, Aylesbury Waterside) and Hannah Nuttall (Bank of Dave The Musical, Curve/Lowry). Jordan Dixon (professional debut) and Rachel Jayne Picar (A Chorus Line, Curve/Sadler’s Wells/UK and Japan tours) will be onstage swings, with Joseph Craig (Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre) and Tori McDougall (Kinky Boots, Curve/UK, Ireland & Europe tours/London Coliseum) as offstage swings.
A Community Company of more than 20 young people, many from Leicestershire and the East Midlands, will join the ensemble on stage to complete the company.
Originally due to run from 21 November 2026 to 9 January 2027, the Made at Curve production which will be directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster has been extended up to 16 January 2027.
Accessible performances will take place across the run, including British Sign Language interpreted (4 December), Captioned (12 December), Dementia Friendly (16 December), Audio Described and Touch Tours (19 December and 6 January) and Relaxed (7 January).
Inspired by Roald Dahl’s much-loved 1964 novel and featuring songs from the beloved 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical has a book by David Greig, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The musical premiered in the West End in 2013 with a production directed by Sam Mendes and arrived on Broadway in 2017.
New Queens reign on SIX tour
The UK and international touring version of SIX has welcomed a new set of Queens.
The new touring Queens are Sedona Sky (Catherine of Aragon), Eva Humphrey (Anne Boleyn), Billie Kerr (Jane Seymour), Tia Antoine-Charles (Anna of Cleves), Léa Desjacques (Katherine Howard) and Amena El-kindy (Catherine Parr). Rosie Itzel, Eve Parsons and Charlotte Anne Steen have joined the cast as Alternates, with Super Swings Eve Knagg and Lara Vina Uzcatia. The cast is backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting, led by musical director Sara De Sanctis.
The production continues to play dates across the UK and Ireland into late 2027. The production will also play a week at the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg (5-9 May 2027).
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ show is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage and features choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille.
Mill at Sonning debut for musical version of Victoria Hislop’s The Island
A new musical adaptation of Victoria Hislop’s best-selling novel The Island will be the centrepiece of The Mill At Sonning’s 2027 season.
The director of the Mill at Sonning’s 2023 UK Theatre Award-winning Gypsy and acclaimed productions of High Society, Guys & Dolls and 2025’s Christmas production of My Fair Lady, Joseph Pitcher will return to take charge of the actor-musician production which will play the distinctive Thameside venue from 10 June to 15 August 2027.
The season will culminate in a Christmas production of Cole Porter’s classic Kiss Me, Kate which will run from 19 November 2027 to 19 January 2028.
Major Scottish theatre co-production of Guys and Dolls to debut in 2027
Five of Scotland’s most prestigious theatre producers are joining forces for a major new production of the classic musical Guys & Dolls.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Eden Court Inverness and Dundee Rep will co-produce the large-scale production which will be directed by the Royal Lyceum Theatre’s artistic director and co-CEO James Brining.
Opening at the Royal Lyceum from 26 March to 1 May 2027, the production will tour to the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow (4-15 May 2027), Eden Court in Inverness (19-22 May 2027), His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen (1-5 June 2027) and Dundee Rep Theatre (8-19 June 2027).
Cast for Birmingham Hippodrome’s Christmas cracker One Tiny Penguin
Birmingham Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre department has confirmed the full cast for new festive musical One Tiny Penguin.
The third production in the popular My First Musical series, will feature Dylan Collymore (101 Dalmatians The Musical, Shrek: The Musical) as Lumi, Sarah Palmer (The Koala Who Could, There’s a Monster in Your Show, Hey Duggee! The Live Theatre Show) as Eira, Benedict Hastings (101 Dalmatians The Musical, Hey Duggee! The Live Theatre Show, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt) as Sky, Sam Denia (Stereophonic) as Pablo and Clara Abdilla Joslin (professional debut) as Bonola.
Following on from family favourites No Such Thing as Wolves and The Jingleclaw, Jordan Li-Smith (music and lyrics) and Julie Tsang’s (book and lyrics) musical is due to play the Patrick Studio from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Suitable for youngsters aged over three years, the family-friendly Christmas story of Lumi the penguin and the Northern Lights will be directed by Laura Ryder.
Indie theatre producer AX2 to stage new production of First Date
Independent theatre producer AX2 will stage a new production of the hit Broadway musical comedy First Date in 2027.
The New York-set tale of modern dating will be the first large-scale musical theatre production from AX2 when it debuts in Wakefield in 2027 ahead of UK tour dates.
Featuring a book by Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, the contemporary rock-flavoured First Date premiered in Seattle in 2012 before arriving on Broadway in 2013. The musical comedy was previously seen in London at the first MTFestUK festival of new musicals at The Other Palace in 2019.
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