Following a highly-acclaimed pre-West End engagement, the major new musical THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS will open in the West End at the world-famous London Palladium. Previewing from 17 June 2017, the production will open on 29 June 2017.
Leading actor, comedian and presenter Rufus Hound stars as the amazing Mr Toad with EastEnders and Shrek star Neil McDermott as Chief Weasel. The confirmed company will also include Jenna Boyd, Abigail Brodie, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall, Nicole Deon, James Gant, Evan James, Michael Larcombe, Bethany Linsdell, Ryan Pidgen, Adam Vaughan and Georgie Westall, with further casting to be announced shortly.
On Thursday 26 January, Jamie Hendry and Julian Fellowes introduced members of the cast and creative team at an exclusive launch event held on stage at the London Palladium where Rufus Hound and the company performed a selection of songs from the musical.
Rufus Hound is one of the UK’s leading actors, presenters and comedians, most recently seen on stage in Don Quixote (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Wars of the Roses (Rose Theatre) and as Freddy in the original West End production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre). His other theatre credits include Neville’s Island (Chichester Festival Theatre) and One Man Two Guv’nors (Theatre Royal Haymarket). Television credits include Doctor Who (BBC), Cucumber (Channel 4), Drunk History (Comedy Central), A Touch of Cloth (SKY) and Hounded (BBC). He is also a regular guest on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC), Would I Lie To You? (BBC), and 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4).
Neil McDermott is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in EastEnders (BBC). His stage credits include Lord Farquaad in Shrek The Musical (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Rolf Gruber in The Sound of Music (London Palladium). Further television credits include The Royal (ITV), Casualty (BBC) and Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (BBC).
Based on Kenneth Grahame’s treasured novel which has captivated generations of readers for over a century, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS has been adapted for the stage with a book by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and Olivier Award-winning composer and lyricist duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
This riotous comedy follows the impulsive Mr Toad whose insatiable need for speed lands him in serious trouble. With his beloved home under threat from the notorious Chief Weasel and his gang of sinister Wild Wooders, Toad must attempt a daring escape leading to a series of misadventures and a heroic battle to recapture Toad Hall.
Featuring eye-poppingly beautiful design, exuberant choreography and a gloriously British score, The Wind in the Willows brings an explosion of anarchy, humour and heart to the world-famous London Palladium.
Tickets will be available from £15, with reduced price preview performances. No additional booking fees or charges are applied to tickets booked via www.WillowsMusical.com.
Produced by Jamie Hendry, MJE Productions and Josh Gilinski, in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh with choreography by Aletta Collins, design by Peter McKintosh, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Gareth Owen, wig & makeup design by Linda McKnight, orchestrations by Chris Jahnke and David Shrubsole and musical supervision by Simon Lee.
Cameron Mackintosh and Jeffrey Seller are thrilled and delighted to announce the initial casting for their West End production of HAMILTON. Christine Allado (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza Hamilton), Tarinn Callender (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Rachel John (Angelica Schuyler), Jason Pennycooke (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Cleve September (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Giles Terera (Aaron Burr) and Obioma Ugoala (George Washington) will open the London production later this year, with further casting to be announced at a later date.
HAMILTON is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.
Christine Allado (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds) played Vanessa in In The Heights at the King’s Cross Theatre, understudied the role of Imelda in Here Lies Love at the National Theatre and was a Guest Artist for Andrea Bocelli’s Cinema World Tour.
Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza Hamilton) previously played Gigi in Cameron Mackintosh’s 2014 West End production of Miss Saigon a role she will reprise on Broadway this March. She most recently played Fantine in Les Misérables both in Manila where the new Asian tour opened, and then in the West End. Her other roles include Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Jane Porter in Tarzan, both also in her native country, the Philippines, where she is a major recording artist.
Tarinn Callender (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison) will graduate from ArtsEd in summer 2017. Hamilton will mark his professional and West End stage debut.
Rachel John’s (Angelica Schuyler) West End credits include Nicki Marron in the recent run of The Bodyguard, Felicia in Memphis and Meat in We Will Rock You.
Jason Pennycooke (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) was Olivier Nominated for the roles of Bobby Dupree in Memphis and Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles. His other West End credits include Paul in Kiss Me, Kate at the Old Vic and Sammy Davis Junior in The Rat Pack at the Savoy Theatre. As part of Edinburgh’s Christmas 2016 programme Pennycooke choreographed Five Guys Named Moe for Underbelly Productions in association with Cameron Mackintosh.
Cleve September (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton) played Sonny in In the Heights at the King’s Cross Theatre and Tommy Keeler in Annie Get Your Gun at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Giles Terera’s (Aaron Burr) previous West End credits include Gary Coleman in Avenue Q, Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon and Caliban in The Tempest. For the National Theatre he played Slow Drag in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Horatio in Hamlet and for the Globe he played Morocco in The Merchant of Venice.
Obioma Ugoala (George Washington) is currently playing Smokey Robinson in Motown the Musical in the West End. His other theatre credits include Richard II, Henry IV part I & II, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Holy Warriors and Antony and Cleopatra for Shakespeare’s Globe and The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse.
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 30 JANUARY 2017
All the seats allocated for the priority on sale in the first booking period (reduced price previews from 21 November 2017 and regular priced performances through to 30 June 2018) have now sold out. The remaining 50% of tickets currently available for public booking will go on sale on Monday 30 January 2017 at 12noon (GMT). In the Autumn nearer the time of completion to the theatre’s refurbishment the producers hope to make further tickets available for booking period one. The official opening night is scheduled for 7 December 2017.
In order to protect patrons from paying highly inflated prices, the producers of HAMILTON are determined to combat the unauthorised profiteering of third party resellers and ticket touts. Delfont Mackintosh Theatres have pioneered for the West End a paperless ticket system for this production – HAMILTON Paperless Ticketing, powered by Ticketmaster. No physical tickets will be issued in advance. Upon arrival at the theatre on the day of the performance, patrons will be asked to swipe the payment card they used to originally purchase their tickets to gain admission into the theatre. Patrons wishing to pay by cash can only do so once the Box Office at the Victoria Palace Theatre reopens in the autumn. Additional security measures to prevent profiteering of tickets purchased by cash customers will also be in place.
Full ticketing information can be found on the official website at hamiltonthemusical.co.uk and details of how to apply for the daily and weekly lotteries will be announced closer to performances.
Further ticket releases will be announced at a later date via official HAMILTON channels.
HAMILTON will re-open the Victoria Palace Theatre following an extensive multi-million pound renovation and expansion to the listed building.
HAMILTON has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.
Winner of 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, HAMILTON has smashed box office records on Broadway where it continues its run at The Richard Rodgers Theatre with the largest advance ever recorded in theatre history. A second US production is also playing to capacity at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago and a third US production will open in March at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco.
HAMILTON is produced in London by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.
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