Theatre Preview: South Pacific

Jamie Wilson, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Gavin Kalin are delighted to announce the full cast for the Sadler’s Wells season and UK and Ireland Tour of the critically acclaimed, landmark Chichester Festival Theatre production of RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC.

Lee Ross is announced as Luther Billis, joining the previously announced Julian Ovenden as Emile de Becquealongside Gina Beck as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Rob Houchen as Lieutenant Joseph Cable, Joanna Ampil as Bloody Maryand Sera Maehara as Liat. They are joined by David Birrell as Captain George Brackett, Stephen John Davis as Commander William Harbison, Antoine Murray-Straughan as Stewpot, Charlie Waddell as Professor and Olly Christopher as Sergeant Johnson.

The cast is completed by Iroy Abesamis, Feline Andersson, Charlotte Coggin, Annabel Edwards, Leslie Garcia Bowman, Sergio Giacomelli, Ellie Jane Grant, Josh Kiernan, Matthew Maddison, Rachel Jayne Picar, Kate Playdon, George Renshaw, Pierce Rogan, Charlotte Scott, Trezel Sergeant, Nikhil Singh Rai, James Wilkinson-Jones and Eleanor Wright.

Lee Ross is probably best known as Owen Turner in the BBC’s EastEnders, his other television credits include Doctor Who, The Catherine Tate Show, Life on Mars, Midsomer Murders, Silent Witness and White Gold. His theatrical credits include playing Hugo Battersby/Loco Chanel in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and Jack Firebrace in Birdsong. His film credits include The English Patient, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and A Castle for Christmas.

David Birrell returns to South Pacific having been part of the show during the 2021 Chichester Festival Theatre season, his other theatrical credits include Wendy and Peter Pan at the Leeds Playhouse, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Moby Dick, The Tempest, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet at the RSC and Oh! What a Lovely War at the National Theatre. His television credits include Silent Witness, Vera, Midsomer Murders, Buried and The Royal.

Stephen John Davis’s West End credits include playing The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Valjean and Javert in Les Misérables, Man of La Mancha for the English National Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre and The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Antoine Murray-Straughan’s West End credits include &Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre, In The Heights at the King’s Cross Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and Cats at the London Palladium. He has also appeared in the UK Tours of Madagascar and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Charlie Waddell returns to South Pacific having been part of the show in 2021 at Chichester Festival Theatre, his other theatre credits include Passion at the Hope Mill Theatre and Bernstein’s Mass at the Southbank Centre.

Olly Christopher has most recently been seen in Pretty Woman at the Savoy Theatre, his other theatre credits include The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Sweet Charity at the Royal Exchange Theatre and Cadogan Hall and Eugenius! The Musical at the London Palladium.

The production opens at Manchester Opera House on 16 July 2022 ahead of a season at Sadler’s Wells, London from 27 July to 28 August 2022 (with a press night on 4 August 2022) followed by a limited 10-week UK and Ireland Tour visiting Dublin, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Canterbury. Chichester’s Artistic Director Daniel Evans, will once again direct Julian, Gina, Rob, Joanna and Sera as they reprise the roles they played to enormous critical and audience acclaim at Chichester Festival Theatre in the summer of 2021. www.southpacificshow.com

This powerful love story, set on a South Pacific Island during World War ll is brought thrillingly to life with a sensational cast of over thirty and a full orchestra in this epic new five-star production directed by Chichester Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director Daniel Evans. SOUTH PACIFIC boasts one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most memorable scores, and this much-loved Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening”, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” and “Bali Ha’i”.

SOUTH PACIFIC is directed by Daniel Evans, with set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, and choreography and movement direction from Ann Yee. The Musical Supervisor is Nigel Lilley, Musical Director is Cat Beveridge and new orchestration is by David Cullen, with original Broadway orchestration by Robert Russell Bennett. The lighting designer is Howard Harrison, sound designer is Paul Groothuis, video designer is Gillian Tan, additional arrangements and Happy Talk orchestration is by Theo Jamieson, casting director is Charlotte Sutton CDG and additional children’s casting by Verity Naughton.

SOUTH PACIFIC is produced by Jamie Wilson, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Gavin Kalin.

South Pacific is coming to Nottingham Theatre Royal on 18 October 2022 get your tickets here.