Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella opens its U.K. theatrical premiere at Manchester, England's Hope Mill Theatre November 6. Starring Grace Mouat (Six) as the lead, the musical began performances November 1 for a run through December 11.
Joining Mouat are Jacob Fowler (Heathers the Musical) as Prince Topher, Annie Aitken (The Phantom of the Opera) as Madame, Julie Yammanee (Carousel) as Marie/Fairy Godmother, Lee Ormsby (Les Misérables) as Sebastian, Matthew McDonald (HMS Pinafore) as Lord Pinkleton, Katie Ramshaw as Charlotte, Olivia-Faith Kamau (Million Dollar Quartet) as Gabrielle, and Adam Filipe (The Prince of Egypt) as Jean-Michel.
Rounding out the ensemble are Morgan Broome, Lois Glain Postle, Ria Tanaka, Ella Valentine, Jamie Jonathan, Will Fisher, Trevor Lin, and Milo McCarthy.
This retelling of the classic fairytale follows Ella, who lives with her horrible and uncaring stepmother Madame and two stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, and the collision of her world with that of Prince Topher at a ball planned by the scheming advisor Sebastian, and their story as their worlds become entwined.
Joseph Houston directs, with co-direction and choreography by William Whelton. Tarik Frimpong serves as assistant director. The creative team also includes musical supervisor Leo Munby, musical director Audra Cramer, musical arranger Jason Carr, set and costume designer Elly Wdowski, projection designer George Reeve, lighting designer Aaron J Dootson, sound designer Adam Fisher, wig designer Richard Mawbey, and sound designer Josh Evans. Casting is by Jane Deitch with artwork by Steph Pyne.
Cinderella is the only musical Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote specifically for television. The original broadcast in 1957 starred Julie Andrews and was remade in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren in the title role. The musical is also well-known for its 1997 reboot starring Whitney Houston and Brandy Norwood.
In 2013, a new Broadway version premiered with a book by Douglas Carter Beane that introduced new characters and songs to the story. It received nine Tony Award nominations and one win.
Beane's revision of the show received a one-night concert performance in London in 2019. Hope Mill Theatre's production is the first fully staged production to be performed in the U.K. The U.K. premiere run was originally scheduled for 2020, but was rescheduled.
Visit HopeMillTheatre.co.uk.
