NOW THAT´S WHAT I CALL A MUSICAL TOUR
NOW That’s What I Call A Musical has numbers which are based on the iconic recurring compilation album, and follows two schoolfriends in 1989, as well as their reunion 20 years later. Featuring tunes by Whitney Houston, Wham!, Blondie, Tears For Fears and Spandau Ballet
Penned by Pippa Evans (award-winning comedian and core member of the Showstoppers), the piece is to be directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood (Strictly Come Dancing). The creative team will include set and costume designers Tom Rogers and Toots Butcher, musical supervisor and arranger Mark Crossland, lighting designer Ben Cracknell, sound designer Adam Fisher, wig and hair designer Sam Cox, associate choreographer Aaron Renfree and casting director Annelie Powell CDG.
Nina Wadia (EastEnders, Goodness Gracious Me) is set to lead the cast with special guest stars including Sinitta, Sonia, Carol Decker, and Jay Osmond appearing a certain venues. Sinitta will perform in Aylesbury, Sheffield, Canterbury, Nottingham and Norwich with Sonia in Newcastle, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Brighton, Decker in Truro, Belfast and Woking, and Osmond in Bradford and Dartford. Sam Bailey (Beauty and the Beast) and Melissa Jacques (I Should Be So Lucky) – share the role of April. Jacques will take on the role at tour stops from 6 September to 7 December, with Bailey then playing it from 14 January to 12 April. Toyah Wilcox will gues star at Edinburgh Playhouse from 25 February to 1 March 2025.
Joining the company are Kieran Cooper, known for Strictly Ballroom (UK tour), as Younger Tim, Christopher Glover, from The Kite Runner (2024 Ireland UK Tour), as Dad, Chris Grahamson, who played Phil Spector in TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, as Tim, Maia Hawkins, seen as Cassie in A Chorus Line at Doreen Bird College, as Younger April, Lauren Hendricks, from Much Ado About Nothing at the East London Shakespeare Festival, as Ms Dorian, Shakil Hussain, known for Frankie Goes to Bollywood (UK tour), as Frank, Nikita Johal, who played Wendla in Spring Awakening at Hope Mill Theatre, as Younger Gemma, Luke Latchman, seen in Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre, as Younger Frank, Matthew Mori, in his professional debut, as Younger Steve, Phil Sealey, known for Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] (UK tour), as Steve, Callum Tempest, from Miss Saigon at Sheffield Crucible, as Barney and Poppy Tierney, seen in Cabaret at Lido 2 Paris as Mum.
The ensemble is completed by Emily Barnett-Salter, known for Annie (UK tour), Molly Cheesley, from Emma (UK tour), Lizzy Ives, making her professional debut, Stefanos Petri, also making his professional debut and Martha Pothen, seen in Oliver! at Leeds Playhous
It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. It is a beautiful and funny story about two schoolgirls navigating life through their shared love of music. Pippa has written a script that takes you right back to sharing your Walkman headphones with your best friend, escaping the boring day to day and dancing like nobody is watching. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place.
Below are the dates we have so far
NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal |
8-12 October |
|
BRADFORD Alhambra |
15-19 October |
|
| DARTFORD Orchard | 22-26 October | Buy tickets |
| CARDIFF New | 29 Oct-2 Nov | Buy tickets |
| TRURO Hall for Cornwall | 5-9 November | Buy tickets |
| MILTON KEYNES Theatre | 12-16 November | Buy tickets |
WOKING New Victoria |
26-30 November |
|
| BELFAST GOH | 19-23 November | Buy tickets |
BRIGHTON Theatre Royal |
2-7 December |
|
| SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower | 14-18 January 2025 | |
| DUBLIN Bord Gais | 21-25 January | on sale soon |
| MANCHESTER Opera House | 28 Jan-1 Feb | Buy tickets |
| HULL New | 4-8 February | Buy tickets |
| SOUTHEND Cliffs | 11-15 February | Buy tickets |
| GLASGOW King´s | 18-22 February | Buy tickets |
| EDINBURGH Playhouse | 25 Feb-1 March | Buy tickets |
| LIVERPOOL Empire | 4-8 March | Buy tickets |
| BIRMINGHAM Alexandra | 11-15 March | Buy tickets |
| YORK GOH | 18-22 March | Buy tickets |
| OXFORD New | 25-29 March | Buy tickets |
| BRISTOL Hippodrome | 1-5 April | Buy tickets |
| WIMBLEDON New | 8-12 April | Buy tickets |