T’Shan Williams in Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s The Color Purple. Picture: Pamela Raith
First images have been released of T’Shan Williams in the pivotal role of Celie in the Leicester Curve and the Birmingham Hippodrome’s major new co-production of the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.
Williams (Heathers The Musical, Theatre Royal, Haymarket/The Other Palace, The Life, Southwark Playhouse) has joined the cast as the result of the axing of original star Seyi Omooba following an internal investigation into a controversial media post in 2014 which was re-posted on Twitter in March.
Directed by award-winning Tinuke Craig (2014 Genesis Future Directors Award), the production which will be the first UK presentation of the award-winning show outside of London, will play Curve from 28 June until 13 July before heading for Birmingham to play the Hippodrome from 16-20 July.
Williams joins Joanna Francis (Sister Act, Curve) as Shug Avery; Ako Mitchell (Caroline or Change, Chichester, Hampstead, West End) as Celie’s abusive husband, Mister, Simon-Anthony Rhoden (Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre), as Mister’s son, Harpo; Karen Mavundukure (Dream Girls, Savoy Theatre) as Harpo’s wife, Sofia; recent graduate Danielle Fiamanya as Celie’s sister, Nettie; and Delroy Brown (Dream Girls, Savoy Theatre) as Pa.
The cast is completed by Geoff Aymer, Owen Chaponda, Perola Congo, KM Drew Boateng, Danielle Kassaraté, Anelisa Lamola, Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy, Landi Oshinowo and Jo Servi.
In a statement last year announcing the production, Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said: “The Color Purple celebrates remarkable women, telling incredible stories. From its Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, her courageous creation in heroine Celie to Oprah Winfrey – who had the vision to make the story into a smash-hit Broadway musical. And we are thrilled to introduce our equally astonishing director Tinuke Craig and welcome her to Curve.
“As we embark on our second decade as a theatre here in Leicester and our friends at Birmingham Hippodrome celebrate their 120th year, our co-production of this beautiful, moving musical feels like a fitting way for us to mark these celebratory years. All of us at Curve are looking forward to working with Tinuke, Fiona Allan and the Hippodrome team very much.”
On behalf of the Birmingham Hippodrome, artistic director and chief executive Fiona Allan added: “We’re very proud to be working on this co-production with our friends at Curve Leicester, and hope it’s the start of many more collaborations. I know that our audiences here in the West Midlands will find the powerful story and characters both socially and culturally relevant; and what an incredible cast and creative team has been assembled to tell it. I can’t think of a better way to mark the Hippodrome’s 120th birthday than with our first main stage co-production.”
Craig heads a creative team that includes: set and costume designer Alex Lowde, musical supervisor Alex Parker, orchestrator Martin Higgins, choreographer Mark Smith, lighting designer Joshua Pharo, sound designer Tom Marshall, hair and make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa, and casting director Kay Magson CDG.
Based on Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the musical has a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Stephen Bray and Allee Willis. The original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008 and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning one for LaChanze who played the central role of Celie.
The show’s London debut came with the critically-acclaimed 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production which starred Cynthia Erivo who reprised the role when the production transferred to Broadway and collected the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The production which also featured Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson making her stage debut as Shug won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Angela Thomas
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