Full casting has been announced for the critically-acclaimed 50th-anniversary production of Hair – The Musical. Leading the cast in this revolutionary, Grammy award-winning musical is: Dancing on Ice’s 2018 champion Jake Quickenden as Berger, Hollyoaks’ Daisy Wood-Davis as Sheila and X-Factor 2011 finalist Marcus Collins as Hud.
The cast is completed by Alison Arnopp, Tom Bales, Louise Francis, Natalie Green, David Heywood, Bradley Judge, Aiesha Pease, Laura Sillett, Spin, Kelly Sweeney and Paul Wilkins.
After winning a WhatsOnStage award in 2018, this celebrated production will now embark on a journey of peace and love to the New Wimbledon Theatre on 21 March 2019, before visiting Cheltenham, Manchester, Cardiff, Plymouth, Birmingham, Sunderland, Dartford, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Edinburgh, Oxford, Sheffield, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Wolverhampton, Cologne and Glasgow.
Welcome to the ‘Age of Aquarius’. It’s 1967 and HAIR’s hippie ‘tribe’ youngsters in the East Village of New York are yearning to change the world, questioning authority and the American flag. Wild, colourful, sexually liberated and free, they are united in protest and song, under the shadow of the Vietnam War.
Hair, which is adored for its Grammy award-winning score featuring iconic hits such as ‘Aquarius’, ‘Let the Sun Shine In’, ‘I Got Life’ and ‘Good Morning Starshine’ is written by Gerome Ragni (book and lyrics), James Rado (book and lyrics) and Galt MacDermot (music).
The 50th anniversary production has been cast by the previous head of BBC casting Jane Deitch and is directed by Jonathan O’Boyle (Pippin, Rain Man, Aspects Of Love), who is reunited with the brilliant creative team from Hope Mill Theatre: Gareth Bretherton (Musical Director), William Whelton (Choreographer), Maeve Black (Designer), Ben M Rogers (Lighting Designer), Calum Robinson (Sound Designer), Max Perryment (Soundscape Designer) and producers Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Joseph Houston & William Whelton for Hope Mill Theatre and Ollie Rosenblatt for Senbla.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Jake Quickenden’s (Berger) stage credits include Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure (Blackpool Opera House) and Cinderella (Kings Theatre Portsmouth). Jake’s screen credits include Dancing On Ice, I’m A Celebrity, X Factor, The Chart Show, The Jump and Kelly’s Heroes.
Daisy Wood-Davis’ (Sheila) stage credits include Dreamboats and Petticoats (Savoy Theatre and Playhouse Theatre) and The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour). Daisy’s screen credits include Hollyoaks, EastEnders, Holby City and The Boat That Rocked.
Marcus Collins’ (Hud) stage credits include Hairspray (UK Tour) and Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre). Marcus’ screen credits include X Factor.
Alison Arnopp’s (Jeanie) stage credits include Eugenius! (The Other Palace), Club Mex (Hope Mill Theatre), The Tempest (Royal Shakespeare Company), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Donmar Warehouse), Dusty (Charing Cross Theatre), Bernstein’s Mass (Royal Festival Hall), The Little Prince (Abu Dhabi Festival), Tannhaüser (Royal Opera House) and Re:Human (Vaults Festival, The Vaults).
Tom Bales’ (Margaret Mead) stage credits include Pirates of Penzance (Wilton’s Music Hall), Knights of the Rose (Arts Theatre), Top Hat (Kilworth House) and Singin’ in the Rain (Grand Palais, Paris).
Louise Francis (Ensemble) trained at Guildford School of Acting and is thrilled to be making her professional debut in Hair – The Musical.
Natalie Green’s (Mom) stage credits include: Hair (The Vaults and Hope Mill Theatre), 21 Chump Street (The Courtyard Theatre), Wicked (UK and Ireland Tour), Parade (Southwark Playhouse), The Fix (Union Theatre), Seussical (Arts Theatre), They Shoot Horses Don’t They (George Wood Theatre), Inherit the Wind (King’s Head), Grease (European Tour), Godspell (Union Theatre) and Spring Awakening (UK Tour).
David Heywood’s (Ensemble) stage credits include: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Macron Stadium, Bolton), Maggie May (Liverpool Royal Court), Summer Holiday (Octagon Theatre, Bolton), Sleeping Beauty The Rock and Roll Panto (Theatr Clwyd), Dare Devil Rides to Jarama (UK Tour), Cinderella (Lawrence Batley Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (UAE Tour), Treasure Island (Birmingham Old Rep), Return to the Forbidden Planet (UK Tour and Deagu Opera House, South Korea), Dick Whittington The Rock and Roll Panto (City Varieties Music Hall), What the Ladybird Heard (International Tour), Privates on Parade (Brighton Theatre Royal) and The Matchgirls (Red Ladder Theatre). David’s screen credits include Peterloo.
Bradley Judge’s (Woof) stage credits include Salad Days (UK Tour), Pippin (Southwark Playhouse and Hope Mill Theatre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Mansfield Palace Theatre), Yank! (Charing Cross Theatre), Grease (Royal Caribbean International), Aladdin (Runcorn Brindley Theatre), Don’t Run (Waterloo East Theatre), Sister Act (Aberystwyth Arts Centre), Villages (The Other Palace) and Comrade Rockstar (Ivy Arts Centre).
Aiesha Pease’s (Dionne) stage credits include: Hadestown (National Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Opera North), Sister Act (UK Tour), Hairspray (UK Tour), The World Goes Round (Finsbury Studios), Ragtime (Pleasance Theatre) and Witches of Eastwick (Bloomsbury Theatre).
Laura Sillett’s (Ensemble) stage credits include: Dick Whittington (Stafford Gatehouse Theatre), Sweet Charity (The Watermill), The Selfish Giant (Vaudeville Theatre and Northampton Royal & Derngate Theatre), A Night at the Oscars (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Robin Hood & Babies in the Wood (Stafford Gatehouse Theatre), Footloose (Peacock Theatre, UK & International Tour), Dreamboats & Petticoats (Cardiff New Theatre), Grease (Royal Caribbean Productions), Jack and the Beanstalk (Stafford Gatehouse), Pinocchio (UAE), Dreamboats & Miniskirts (UK Tour), The Snow Queen (UAE Tour), Dreamboats & Petticoats (UK Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Brighton Emporium Theatre), Marvin Hamlisch Concert (St. James Theatre) and There’ll Always be an England (Brick Lane Music Hall).
Spin’s (Ensemble) stage credits include: Dick Whittington (Plymouth Theatre Royal), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Kilworth House Theatre), Five Guys Names Moe (Edinburgh Festival Square Theatre), In the Heights (Kings Cross Theatre), Tonight’s the Night (UK Tour), Hello Dolly (Leicester Curve Theatre), Hairspray (UK Tour), Disney’s High School Musical 2 (UK Tour), Fame (UK Tour), Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Wedding Singer (UK Tour), Daddy Cool (UK Tour), Fame (Stage Entertainment) and Jesus Christ Super Star (Song Time Theatre Arts). Spin’s screen credits include: BBC Blast, The Lenny Henry Show, Stars in Their Eyes, Brit Awards, X Factor, VMA Awards, Olivier Awards and Finland’s Got Talent.
Kelly Sweeney’s (Crissy) stage credits include Unexpected Joy (Southwark Playhouse).
Paul Wilkins’ (Claude) stage credits include The Dreamers (Abbey Road Studios), Les Misérables (Asian Tour and Queen’s Theatre), The Dreamers (Victoria Palace Theatre) and Ann Duck (National Theatre). Paul’s other credits include Friday Night is Music Night (BBC Radio 2).
Jonathan O’Boyle’s (Director) credits include: A Guide for the Homesick (Trafalgar Studios); Rain Man (UK Tour); Aspects of Love (Hope Mill Theatre); James Graham’s This House (National Theatre, Headlong and UK Tour); Rasheeda Speaking (Trafalgar Studios); Pippin (Southwark Playhouse and Hope Mill Theatre); Dear Brutus (Southwark Playhouse); Hair (The Vaults and Hope Mill Theatre); Four Play (Theatre503); Sense of an Ending and Water Under the Board (Theatre503); The Surplus and All The Ways To Say Goodbye (Young Vic); The Verb, To Love and Made In Britain (Old Red Lion Theatre); Bash Latterday Plays (Trafalgar Studios) and King Lear and Broken Glass (Central School of Speech and Drama).
His Associate Director credits include: An American In Paris (Dominion Theatre); This House (Chichester Festival Theatre and Garrick Theatre); The Judas Kiss (Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York and Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto); Mack and Mabel (Chichester Festival Theatre and UK Tour); Amadeus (Chichester Festival Theatre); Bull (Sheffield Crucible, Young Vic and New York); This Is My Family (Sheffield Theatres and UK Tour); The Scottsboro Boys (Young Vic); My Fair Lady (Sheffield Crucible); The Village Bike (Sheffield Crucible) and Manon (Royal Opera House).
Katy Lipson – Aria Entertainment (Producer) – Aria Entertainment was founded in 2012 by Katy Lipson.
In 2017, Katy was awarded the Best Producer award by the Off-West End Awards and is a recipient of the Stage One Bursary and Start Up Award. She made The Stage 100 this year with Joe Houston and William Whelton for their work at Hope Mill Theatre.
Katy has recently finished two hugely successful runs as lead producer on the UK Tour of The Addams Family and the 50th Anniversary production of HAIR at the London Vaults, which she originally co-produced with Hope Mill Theatre in 2016, where she is Resident Producer and co-artistic director for in-house productions. HAIR won the award for Best Off-West End Production at the 2018 Whatsonstage Awards. She has also recently produced the London transfer of new musical The Toxic Avenger at The Arts Theatre, West End following a run at The Edinburgh Festival’s Pleasance Theatre.
Other recent productions include: Unexpected Joy (Southwark Playhouse and York Theatre, Off-Broadway); It’s Only Life (Union Theatre); Putting it Together; The Return of the Soldier, Aspects of Love, Spring Awakening, Little Women, Pippin, The ToyBoy Diaries, Yank!, Parade and Hair (Hope Mill Theatre); the London transfers of Pippin (Southwark Playhouse) and Yank! (Charing Cross Theatre); tick, tick…BOOM! (Park Theatre); Promises, Promises and The Toxic Avenger (Southwark Playhouse); Vanities The Musical (Trafalgar Studios); See What I Wanna See and The Return Of The Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre); Bar Mitzvah Boy (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); The Adventures of Pinocchio, Lizzie and The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre); The House of Mirrors & Hearts, Supported By Grant For The Arts (Arcola Theatre) and Marry Me A Little, Jerry’s Girls and Forever Plaid (St. James Studio).
Other current projects include Aspects of Love (Southwark Playhouse); Rags the Musical; Mame and The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit (Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester).
Joseph Houston & William Whelton – Hope Mill Theatre (Producers) – The Award-winning Hope Mill Theatre was the dream of couple Joseph Houston and William Whelton, who after a career in Musical Theatre and living in London, became inspired by the highly regarded Off West End theatres and the high-quality work they were creating. With the growing theatre industry blossoming in Manchester and no medium-sized venues producing Musicals, they set up and established the independent venue in November 2015. The venue has firmly placed itself on the northern map for its ambitious in-house musical productions, which include Parade, Hair (which won Best Off-West End Production at this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards), the UK Premiere of YANK! (which had a successful seven-week run at the Charing Cross Theatre, London), the European Premiere of Little Women, hit rock musical Spring Awakening, Pippin (Southwark Playhouse, London) and most recently an acclaimed revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love.
In October 2016, Joseph and William were awarded the Hospital Club Award for contribution to Theatre and Performance. Last year they picked up a Special Achievement Award at the Manchester Theatre Awards. The venue was nominated for The Peter Brook Empty Space Award, won a Northern Soul Award for the small theatre of the year and was nominated for Fringe Theatre of the Year 2016 and 2017, before winning the prestigious Stage’s Fringe Theatre of the Year award 2018.
Most recently the venue was featured in the Evening Standards top 10 must-visit regional venues. Joseph and William joined forces with Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment to spearhead the venue as a regional home for new musicals and musical revivals and their successful collaboration got them named on The Stage 100 list 2017. William Whelton is a recipient of the Stage One Young Producers Bursary for emerging producers. Hope Mill Theatre hosts many emerging Manchester theatre companies, touring productions and offers a varied programme for its audiences.
Ollie Rosenblatt – Senbla (Producer) – Ollie Rosenblatt founded Senbla in 2011 after running Jazz FM’s live division.
Ollie is a new breed of promoter and producer taking both a traditional approach mixed with a forward-thinking aptitude centred around unlocking and adding value from great songs, catalogues and artists. Demonstrated by the hugely successful A Life In Song songwriter series at the o2 Arena and London’s Royal Festival Hall, which he created, produced and promoted for Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Tim Rice and Don Black. They were filmed and broadcast on BBC 2 and 4 and BBC Radio 2.
Senbla produces and promotes large-scale tours for artists across the UK working with artists such as Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Soft Cell, Ennio Morricone, Tony Bennett, Nigel Kennedy, Itzhak Perlman, Marc Almond, Joss Stone, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Jason Robert Brown, Audra McDonald. Senbla was the first company to tour film with live orchestra concerts throughout the UK and works with the largest entertainment brands in the world in this genre. From the Harry Potter and Star Wars Franchises to Disney brands Beauty and The Beast, The Jungle Book, Pixar as well as major studio films such as Love Actually, The Godfather, Titanic, Paddington and many others.
Senbla has also produced a number of concept shows such as The Golden Age of Dance and Broadway In Concert, as well as musicals in concert How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying; Peter Pan and Of Thee, I Sing. Senbla co-produced the Burt Bacharach musical ‘Promises, Promises’ and the London transfer of the 50th-anniversary production of ‘Hair’.