If Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins as supernaturally separated lovers Billy and Julie wasn't enough to get you excited about CAROUSEL at English National Opera, today's further principal casting - including Only Fools and Horses' Nicholas Lyndhurst and #StageFaves favourites Brenda Edwards, Derek Hagen, Alex Young, Gavin Spokes and Martyn Ellis - is likely to do the trick...
Nicholas Lyndhurst (Star Keeper) joins the previously announced Alfie Boe (Billy Bigelow) and Katherine Jenkins (Julie Jordan) in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL, the third production in the partnership between The GradeLinnit Company and English National Opera (ENO). The production runs for five weeks only from 7 April to 13 May 2017, with a press night
This semi-staged production of CAROUSEL marks BAFTA Award Winning Actor Nicholas Lyndhurst’s return to the West End stage, where he was last seen in Trevor Nunn’s 2011 production of The Tempest at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. His other West End credits include Allan Davis’ The Straight and Narrow at the Wyndham’s Theatre, Peter Hall’s production of The Dresser at the Duke of York’s Theatre and The Foreigner, by Larry Shue at the Albany Theatre. Lyndhurst is best known for his classic television series; Only Fools and Horses, Goodnight Sweetheart, After You’ve Gone, Rock & Chips, Butterflies and The Piglet Files. Lyndhurst can also be seen in the 2016 film, A United Kingdom.
Further casting includes Brenda Edwards (Nettie Fowler), Derek Hagen (Jigger Craigin), Alex Young (Carrie Pipperidge), Gavin Spokes (Enoch Snow), Susan Kyd (Mrs Mullin), Martyn Ellis (Mr Bascombe) and Davide Fienauri (Carnival Boy). Final casting will be announced shortly.
Other parts will be played by Bruce Aguilar Rohan, Thomas Audibert, Will Barratt, Jay Bryce, Danielle Cato, Jacob Chapman, Nolan Edwards, Alexander Evans, Lizzi Franklin, Alice Jane, Tessa Kadler, Hannah Kenna Thomas, Jasmine Leung, Leisha Mollyneaux, Rachel Muldoon, Saori Oda, Kane Oliver Parry, Daniel Perry, Alastair Postlethwaite, Joseph Poulton, Verity Quade, Genevieve Taylor, James Titchener, Adam Vaughan, Matthew Whennell-Clark and Anna Woodside.
When the charming Carousel Barker, Billy Bigelow falls in love with Julie Jordan, little do they realise that their relationship will end in tragedy. Fifteen years after getting caught up in an armed robbery, Billy gets the chance to redeem his past and restore pride to his family.
Lonny Price will direct the season of 41 performances at ENO’s London Coliseum. ENO award winning 40-piece orchestra and chorus, conducted by David Charles Abell, will accompany the cast in this semi-staged production. Tickets for CAROUSEL are £12 – £110, with over 100 available at £12 for every performance.
CAROUSEL is presented by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade with English National Opera who have previously produced together the critically acclaimed seasons of Sweeney Todd with Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel and Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close. The GradeLinnit Company are currently producing 42nd Street, to open March 2017 at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
