We're already imagining a tug of war between Annies and Matildas, with some School of Rockers thrown in: so many cute kids in the West End at the moment! So, yep, the full cast - including three young stars to share the title role, plus a Labradoodle in the limelight - have been announced to join Miranda Hart in Nikolai Foster's revival of ANNIE. Also, check out more publicity pics in the show's #StageFaves gallery...
Rehearsals began today (24 April 2017) for the West End production of ANNIE at the Piccadilly Theatre. Joining the previously announced Miranda Hart who will play Miss Hannigan are Alex Bourne as Daddy Warbucks, Holly Dale Spencer as Grace Farrell, Jonny Fines as Rooster and Djalenga Scott as Lily.
The title role of Annie will be shared by Madeleine Haynes, 13-years old from Hadley Wood, Barnet, Lola Moxom, 12-years old from Rochester, Kent and Ruby Stokes, 12-years old from Hampshire. They will be joined by three teams of young performers who will play the girls in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage (see below). Amber, a 4 year-old Labradoodle, will play Annie’s dog Sandy.
Completing the company will be ensemble members Keisha Atwell, Sophie Ayers, Bobby Delaney, Nic Gibney, Patrick Harper, Ben Harrold, George Ioannides, Megan Louch, Benjamin Mundy, Ben Oliver, Heather Scott-Martin, Anne Smith, Kate Somerset How, Katie Warsop and Russell Wilcox.
ANNIE begins previews at the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre on 23 May 2017 with opening night on 5 June 2017. The production is initially booking to 6 January 2018. Children’s tickets will be half price for Monday to Thursday performances. The production, directed by Nikolai Foster, is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…
ANNIE has book by Thomas Meehan adapted from the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. The West End production will have sets and costumes designed by Colin Richmond, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Richard Brooker and orchestration and musical direction by George Dyer.
Foster’s production arrives in the West End 40 years after the original Broadway production opened in 1977 and received seven Tony awards including the Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The last West End production of ANNIE opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1998. In 1982, ANNIE was adapted for the big screen directed by John Huston with a cast including Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters and Albert Finney and in 2014 a further feature film was released, directed by Will Gluck, with a cast including Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. The much-loved score includes the classics It’s A Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow and Easy Street.
