Gemma Sutton has been cast as Angel, opposite Caroline O’Connor as her mum Anna, in the first London revival in 20 years of Kander and Ebb’s The Rink at Southwark Playhouse.
The new production plays at Southwark Playhouse from 25 May to 23 June 2018, with a press night on 29 May. Along with Kander and Ebb’s score, the show has a book by Tony Award-winning Terrence McNally (Ragtime)
Anna, an Italian housewife who runs a roller-skating rink on the Eastern seaboard, is about to sell it to developers until her estranged daughter, Angel, returns after a long absence, hoping to save the rink and patch things up with her mother.
Gemma Sutton and Caroline O’Connor will be following the likes of Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli who played the roles of Anna and Angel in The Rink when the show originally premiered on Broadway on 9 February 1984. The show premiered in London at the Cambridge Theatre on 17 February 1988, starring Josephine Blake and Diane Langton as Anna and Angel respectively.
This new production is directed by Adam Lenson and choreographed by Fabian Aloise, with musical direction by Joe Bunker, set design by Bec Chippendale, costume design by Libby Todd, lighting design by Matt Daw, sound design by Mike Thacker and casting by Jacob Sparrow.
Bio
Gemma Sutton (Angel) recently played Fran in Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse and Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto) and Marian in The Go-Between (Apollo Theatre, London). She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of both June and Louise in the West End production of Gypsy opposite Imelda Staunton (also June in the Chichester Festival Theatre production). Her other theatre credits include Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray (UK tour), Roxie Hart in Chicago (Curve Theatre, Leicester), Drunk (Leicester Curve Theatre and The Bridewell Theatre, London) and Enid/first cover Elle in Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre, West End).
