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Cast announced for Strictly Ballroom musical
Will Young, Jonny Labey, and Zizi Strallen will star in the Baz Luhrmann tale.
Renowned singer and songwriter Will Young will star as the new role of Wally Strand in Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical. He’ll be joined by Jonny Labey, winner of ITV’s Dance Dance Dance, and Zizi Strallen as the iconic lovers Scott and Fran.
The trio will lead the cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical when it arrives in the West End next year. The spectacular will open at the Picadilly Theatre on Friday 16 March 2018.
Young will play the brand new role of band leader Wally Strand. Will Young rose to fame in the first ever series of Pop Idol in 2001, becoming one of the UK’s most popular and successful artists. To date, he still holds the record for the fastest selling debut single in UK chart history. His acting career has seen him star alongside Judie Dench in Mrs Henderson Presents, as well as making his stage debut as Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret.
Jonny Labey became a household name winning the ITV dancing competition, as well as starring as Paul Coker in EastEnders. The dancer will play the leading role of Scott Hastings as his West End debut.
Zizi Strallen, who will play Fran, has starred as the lead in Mary Poppings, with additional appearances in Follies, Cats, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray and Chicago.
Strictly Ballroom started life as a multi-award winning movie, the first instalment in Baz Luhrmann’s acclaimed Red Curtain Trilogy. The story follows rogue championship ballroom dancer Scott, who defies the rules to follow his heart and team up with left-footed partner Fran. Together they win the national Championship, going on the bring down the Dance Federation.
The stage production was created by Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Drew McOnie, winner of the Oliver Award in 2016 for his choreography for In The Heights, will once again direct the musical, having done so during its run at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Joining Will Young, Jonny Labey, and Zizi Strallen are:
Michelle Bishop (Thoroughly Modern Milly, Sunset Boulevard) as Pam Short, Ivan De Freitas (Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin) as Merv, Gabriela Garcia (In The Heights, Ghost) as Vanessa Cronin, Charlotte Gooch (Top Hat, Dirty Dancing) as Tina Sparkle, Richard Grieve (Neighbours, Emmerdale and Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Les Kendall, Liam Marcellino (Cabaret, Miss Saigon) as Wayne Burns, Stephen Matthews (The Lion King, The Producers) as Doug Hastings, Fernando Mira (ENO, Victorian State Opera) as Rico, Eve Polycarpou (Villa Thalia, In The Heights) as Abuela, Lauren Stroud (Top Hat, Hairspray) as Liz Holt & Gary Watson (Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be, A Chorus Line, Jersey Boys) as Ken Railings.
The latest adaptation of Strictly Ballroom The Musical will open at London’s Piccadilly Theatre from March 2018. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.co.uk.