Hunter and Winternitz to Lead West End Cast of ONCE From Next Week!

David Hunter and Jill Winternitz will lead the cast as Guy and Girl respectively in the Olivier award-winning production of Once. Hunter, who originally joined the show in July last year understudying the role of Guy, and Winternitz have their first performance together on 12 May 2014. Last month Once was the winner of two coveted Olivier awards - including the first ever recipient of the Olivier for Outstanding Achievement in Music. The show has also won 8 Tony awards including Best Musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. In addition Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's Falling Slowly won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Directed by John Tiffany, the West End production of Once opened in April 2013 and is currently booking at the Phoenix Theatre to 4 July 2015.

Based on the much-loved Oscar-winning film, Once is a celebration of love, friendship and music. When an Irish busker and a young Czech mother meet through a shared love of music, their songwriting sparks a deep connection and a tender, longing romance that neither of them could have expected.

David Hunter (Guy) trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In 2012 he appeared on Andrew Lloyd Webber's television programme Superstar on ITV where he became a semi finalist. His theatre credits include One Man Two Guvnors at the National Theatre, on the UK tour and at the Adelphi Theatre, Seussical at the Arts Theatre, The Who's Tommy at the Prince Edward Theatre, The Hired Man at the Leicester Curve, Spinach and Love Shift at The Royal Exchange in Manchester, and Moving On at The Lowry in Manchester. He has recently filmed Nativity! 3 which is due to be released later this year.

Jill Winternitz (Girl) studied at UCLA and the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia before training in the UK at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She made her West End debut starring as Baby in Dirty Dancing at the Piccadilly Theatre and then on tour around the UK. Her other theatre credits include A Handful of Soil at the Drayton Theatre, The Seagull at the Moscow Art Theatre School and Sunday in the Park with George at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her film credits include The Sorrows and The Replacement Child.

From 12 May the West End cast comprises David Hunter (Guy) and Jill Winternitz (Girl) who are joined by Fiona Bruce (Baruska), Jamie Cameron (Emcee) Mark Carlisle (Da), Matthew Ganley (Svec), Mathew Hamper (Andre), Daniel Healy (Eamon), Loren O'Dair (Reza), Miria Parvin (Ex-girlfriend), Tim Prottey-Jones (Billy) and Jez Unwin (Bank Manager). Alternating the role of Girl's young daughter Ivanka will be Juliana Cotton, Demi Lee, Gemma Loader and Ruby Payne.

The Broadway production continues at the Bernard B Jacob's Theatre. Later this year an Australian production will open at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne while the US tour continues.

Once has book by award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh. Based on the 2007 motion picture written and directed by John Carney, music and lyrics are by Academy Award® winning Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová who, for Falling Slowly, won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Scenic and costume designs are by Bob Crowley, with lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Clive Goodwin,
musical supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe and movement by Steven Hoggett. Once won the 2013 Grammy award for Best Musical Theatre album. The Martin Guitar Company is the proud sponsor of Once.

The original cast recording of Once is available via Masterworks Broadway, a label of Sony Masterworks - www.MasterworksBroadway.com