GREASE to Close in London in April; Start Tour in May

The smash hit musical Grease will end its triumphant West End run next spring prior to a UK tour. Grease returned to London on 25 July 2007 (with a press night on 8th August) and since its premiere the feel-good audience favourite has played over 1,300 performances and has been seen by over 1¼million theatregoers at the Piccadilly Theatre, where it is the longest running show in the venue's history. Grease will close on 30 April 2011 after nearly four electrifyin' years in the West End and will immediately begin a national tour opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 6 May 2011. Full tour schedule and casting will be announced.

Producer David Ian says: "This has been the 4th London run in seventeen years for this amazing production and the longest ever running show at The Piccadilly Theatre. Now we're taking everyone's favourite show right across the UK on its greatest tour ever - Grease is indeed the word!!"

Matthew Goodgame (Channel 4 Musicality, Chicago) will become leader of the T Birds gang when he takes over the iconic role of ‘Danny' on 27 September 2010 for the remainder of the show's London run. He will star opposite Lauren Samuels (BBC1 Over the Rainbow finalist) who is making her West End debut as ‘Sandy' having joined the cast of Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre this July. The couple will leave Grease audiences hopelessly devoted to their charms as they follow in the footsteps of screen idols John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John who famously played the roles of ‘Danny' and ‘Sandy' in the hit 1978 movie.

The class of Rydell High 2010 also includes Siubhan Harrison (‘Rizzo'), Lucas Rush (‘Roger'), Hayley Gallivan (‘Jan'), Faye Brookes (‘Frenchy'), Bennett Andrews (‘Sonny'), Robyn Mellor (‘Marty'), Michael Vinsen (‘Eugene'), Susannah Allman (‘Patty'), Kerry Winter ‘(Miss Lynch'), Stephanie Powell (‘Cha Cha') and Jason Capewell (Vince Fontaine). Noel Sullivan continues in the role of ‘Danny' until 25 September 2010 and joining from 27 September are Jamie Capewell as ‘Kenickie' and Giovanni Spano as ‘Doody'.

Since breaking out on Broadway in 1972, Grease's place has been firmly established in the culturAl Hall of Fame, having seduced the hearts of millions with its back-to-back sizzling tunes. The show features all the unforgettable songs from the hit film including ‘You're The One That I Want', ‘Grease Is The Word', ‘Summer Nights', ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You', ‘Sandy', ‘Greased Lightnin' and many more.

Voted the "No 1 Greatest Musical"*, Grease has proved that a musical love story, bursting with denim, cheerleaders, slick hairstyles, rock'n'roll, teenage angst and young romance is timeless and universal.

This production originally opened in the West End in 1993 (co-produced with Robert Stigwood) where it enjoyed a fantastic run of 6 years. The last international tour of Grease was a phenomenal success, playing to sell-out audiences and smashing records at many venues. Since 1993 the show has been seen by audiences totalling over 10 million people in the UK alone. A second production has just played in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Auckland, and opens in Hong Kong in October.

Written by Jim Jacobs and WarRen Casey, directed by David Gilmore (Daisy Pulls It Off, Happy Days, Song & Dance, Footloose) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance The Musical & BBC's Strictly Come Dancing), Grease is produced in the West End by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.

For more information, visit www.greasethemusical.co.uk