Heavens above: Danny Dyer & Jo Brand have been cast in the festive London run of Nativity! The Musical

This is one Christmas present you weren’t expecting! Danny Dyer will star as Hollywood Producer and Jo Brand as The Critic in the London run of Nativity! The Musical at the Eventim Apollo, from 19 to 31 December 2018.

Dyer and Brand, who will also star as The Critic when the show heads to Festival Theatre in Edinburgh from 28 November to 2 December, will be joined by Simon Lipkin (Rock of Ages, Avenue Q, Guys and Dolls in the West End), who returns in the role of Mr Poppy. Scott Garnham (Made in Dagenham, Les Misérables and I Can’t Sing! in the West End) will play Mr Maddens and Ashleigh Gray (Elphaba in Wicked in the West End and on UK tour) will play Jennifer Lore.

The rest of the cast includes: Andy Barke, Andy Brady, Jamie Chapman, Jemma Churchill, Oscar Conlon-Morrey, Gary Davis, Kade Ferraiolo, Ashleigh Graham and Helena Pipe.

Written and directed by Debbie Isitt with music and lyrics by Nicky Ager and Isitt, Nativity! The Musical will first open at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on 23 October 2018 and will then visit Liverpool, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Stoke, Oxford before finishing the tour at The Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.