Manford goes Potts
Casting announced for Chitty tour
Main casting has been announced for next year’s tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which flies into the Festival Theatre in a year’s time – October 5 – 16 2016.
Jason Manford will be staring as jovial inventor Caractacus Potts with Michelle Collins as the villainous Baroness Bomburst and Andy Hockley as Grandpa Potts, in the Music & Lyrics Limited production which opens for a Christmas season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse before going on extensive tour.
Jason Manford (left) as Leo Bloom in The Producers earlier this year, with Cory English as Max Bialystock. photo: Manuel Harlan
Manford was last seen at the Festival Theatre in the production of The Producers which toured to the venue in March and got great notices from Martin Gray in his review (here).
Michelle Collins is best known as Cindy Beale, the unfaithful wife of EastEnders stalwart Ian Beale (a role she played for a decade from 1988), and a three year stint behind the bar of the Rovers Return on Coronation Street, as Stella Price from 2011.
Andy Hockley was in the 25th anniversary tour of Phantom of the Opera, playing Monsieur Firmin. In the 1990s he was Mr Jolly for the last two series of Playdays.
As previously announced in April, the new production will be directed by West Yorkshire Playhouse’s artistic director James Brining with new choreography by Stephen Mear and production design by Simon Higlett. There will be a live orchestra with Musical Supervision by Stephen Ridley. Lighting design is by Tim Mitchell, sound design by Ben Harrison and video design by Simon Wainwright.
Although further casting has been announced for the early part of the tour, full casting for October has yet to be announced.
Listing
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT
Wednesday 5 to Sunday 16 October 2016
Evenings Wed to Sat 7.30pm; Matinees Thurs & Sat: 2.30pm, Sun 9: 1pm & 5pm, Sun 16: 1pm
Tickets and further details: http://www.edtheatres.com/chitty
ENDS
