Footloose for Playhouse
Gareth Gates to star in UK Tour 2020
Gareth Gates is to star in the 2020 UK tour of Footloose The Musical, coming to the Playhouse in July and on to the Glasgow King’s in August.
The tour will open at the Wimbledon Theatre in April 2020 and has tickets already on sale for Birmingham, Barnstaple, Sunderland, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Malvern, Blackpool, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with further venues to be announced.
Based on the 1984 movie of the same name, the show features city boy Ren who thinks life is bad enough when he’s forced to move to a rural backwater in America.
But his world comes to a standstill when he arrives at Bomont to find dancing and rock music are banned.
Taking matters into his own hands, Ren soon has all hell breaking loose and the whole town on its feet.
Gates says he is thrilled to be back playing the role of slow-witted Willard in the new UK tour. He previously toured to the Playhouse with the show in February 2016 when Susan Lowes said he “still has what it takes” in her review.
“I had so much fun the first time around that I jumped at the chance to play such an exciting role again,” he says. “I was born in 1984, the year Footloose the movie was first released; I used to watch the movie lots as a kid not knowing some years later I’d be playing the ‘cowboy that can’t dance’ on stages up and down the country.”
Dancer
However, he admits: “I’m a terrible dancer, so it’s pretty much Life imitating Art!
“The show is packed with classic 80s hits,” says Gates. “And audiences get to see a little more of me than they bargained for! I can’t wait to be back on tour with such an incredible show”
Footloose The Musical will be presented by Selladoor Productions in association with Runaway Entertainment, and will be directed by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland and design by Sara Perks.
Further dates and full casting details are to be announced at a later date.
Listings
Footloose The Musical
Edinburgh Playhouse 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
Tuesday 28 July – Saturday 1 August 2020
Evenings: 7.30pm, Mats Wed, Sat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book online
Glasgow Kings, 297 Bath St, Glasgow, G2 4JN
Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 January 2020
Wed – Sat: 7pm; Mats Thurs 1.30pm, Fri 10.30am, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 11am & 3pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Footloose The Musical on tour: | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fri 24 Apr – Sat 2 May 2020 | Wimbledon New Wimbledon Theatre |
0844 871 7646 | Book online |
Mon 4 – Sat 9 May 2020 | Birmingham The Alexandra Theatre |
0844 871 3011 | Book online |
Mon 18 – Sat 23 May 2020 | Barnstaple Queen’s Theatre |
01271 324242 | Book online |
Mon 25 – Sat 30 May 2020 | Sunderland Sunderland Empire |
0844 871 3022 | Book online |
Mon 1 – Sat 6 June 2020 | Llandudno Venue Cymru |
01492 872000 | Book online |
Mon 8 – Sat 13 June 2020 | Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre |
01224 641122 | Book online |
Mon 22 – Sat 27 June 2020 | Brighton Theatre Royal |
0844 871 7650 | Book online |
Mon 29 June – Sat 4 July 2020 | Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Theatre |
08448 717652 | Book online |
Mon 6 – Sat 11 July | Peterborough New Theatre |
01733 852 992 | Book online |
Mon 13 – Sat 18 July 2020 | Malvern Festival Theatre |
01684 892277 | Book online |
Mon 20 – Sat 25 July 2020 | Blackpool Opera House |
0844 856 1111 | Book online |
Tue 28 July – Sat 1 Aug 2020 | Edinburgh Playhouse |
0844 871 3014 | Book online |
Mon 3 – Sat 8 Aug 2020 | Glasgow King’s Theatre |
0844 871 7648 | Book online |
ENDS