The cast has been announced for a Shakespeare inspired musical coming to Salisbury.
The UK premiere of Play On!, the jazz-fuelled, Twelfth Night inspired musical that will tour the UK from September 2024 – February 2025, will feature an all-black cast from Talawa, the UK’s black theatre company.
The musical retelling of Shakespeare’s play brings to life the 1940s New York jazz scene, set to a timeless Duke Ellington score.
READ MORE: 21 pictures from Birdsong rehearsals at Salisbury Playhouse
Viola: Tsemaye Bob-Egbe (SIX The Musical and TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End)
Lady Liv: Kori Hedgemon (Lovin’ Vegas and We Are One, Carnival Cruise Line; Hairspray, Pratville Theatre), the star singer at The Cotton Club.
The Duke: Earl Gregory (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End; Kinky Boots, The Fugard Theatre).
Jester: Llewellyn Jamal (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, and Get Up, Stand Up!, West End)
Rev: Cameron Bernard Jones (Ain’t Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre; The Burnt City, Punchdrunk; The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre)
Miss Mary: Lifford Shillingford (Britain’s Got Talent, ITV; Tarantino Live, Riverside Studios) as Sweets; Tanya Edwards (Sister Act The Musical, UK tour)
Ceecee: Gleanne Purcell-Brown (Living, Lionsgate UK; Curtains, West End; Spamalot, UK tour)
The ensemble comprises the likes of Natalia Brown (Sister Act The Musical, West End); Freya Karlettis (Sleeping Beauty, Ipswich Regent Theatre; Hairspray, Royal Caribbean Cruises); Amber Cayasso (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Bridge Theatre) and Jarnéia Richard-Noel (SIX The Musical, West End; Madagascar The Musical, UK tour).
The story follows a young songwriter who arrives in the Cotton Club in New York City, ready to make her name – but disguising herself as a man to give her a better shot in a male-dominated music world.
As she meets club owner The Duke and sensational singer Lady Liv, Vy is swept up in a syncopated symphony of melodies, mistaken identities and romance.
Play On! is directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong (A Kind of People, Royal Court; Guys and Dolls, Talawa); Kenrick Sandy (Artistic Associate, Barbican; Boy Blue; Free Your Mind, Aviva Studios) is the choreographer; and Liam Godwin (The Big Life, Theatre Royal Stratford East; West End Musical Christmas, Adelphi Theatre; Bat Boy, London Palladium) is the musical supervisor.
Play On! will be performed at Salisbury Playhouse between October 22 and November 2. To buy tickets, click here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here