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.

Gareth Gates is to star in Footloose when it comes to the Playhouse in July 2020.

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.

ENDS

Tags: Footloose, Footloose the Musical, Gareth Gates, Mark Crossland, Matt Cole, Musicals, News, Playhouse, Production News, Racky Plews, Runaway Entertainment, Sara Perks, Selladoor Productions