Michelle Ryan to Lead West End Revival of CABARET as Sally

The Daily Mail reports that director Rufus Norris, fresh off the debut of his film Broken at Cannes, has cast Michelle Ryan as Sally in the upcoming West End revival of Cabaret.

"It's one of those roles that's like a gift," she told the publication.

Read the original report here.

Ryan, known for her role as Zoe Slater on BBC1's EastEnders, will play Sally Bowles opposite the Master of Ceremonies Will Young at the Savoy Theatre this fall. Cabaret opens on October 1, with rehearsals beginning in August followed by a four-week national tour prior to the show's West End opening.

Although best known for her role in the EastEnders soap, Ryan also starred in the U.S. TV series Bionic Woman, on the BBC's Merlin, and has appeared in an episode of Doctor Who. On stage, Ryan appeared in the 2005 run of Who's the Daddy? at King's Head Theatre and in 2010 she starred in The Talented Mr. Ripley at the Royal Theatre in Northampton. On screen, Ryan has played roles in Marple, Cashback, Mansfield Park, I Want Candy, Flick, Mister Eleven, 4.3.2.1, Cleanskin, Huge, and more.

Cabaret features music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The original Broadway production opened in 1966 and was directed by Harold Prince and choreographed by Ron Field at the Broadhurst Theatre with Jill Haworth as Sally and Bert Convy as Cliff. The first West End production opened in 1968 with Judi Dench as Sally and Barry Dennen as the Emcee. The show then inspired a 1972 film, followed by a 1986 London revival starring Kelly Hunter as Sally, Peter Land as Cliff and Wayne Sleep as the Master of Ceremonies. Broadway picked the musical back up in 1987 for a revival directed again by Prince with choreography again by Field. Joel Grey starred as Master of Ceremonies, with Alyson Reed as Sally and Gregg Edelman as Cliff. In 1993, the West End welcomed the musical back with Jane Horrocks as Sally, Adam Godley as Cliff and Alan Cumming as Emcee. In 1998, Broadway brought Natasha Richardson to the stage as Sally with John Benjamin Hickey as Cliff.

Then in 2006, Norris (slated to direct this upcoming revival) directed Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre starring Anna Maxwell Martin as Sally and James Dreyfus as the Master of Ceremonies.

The musical centers on the Kit Kat Club in 1931 Berlin, focusing on cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her romantic relationship with American writer Cliff Bradshaw. The Master of Ceremonies oversees and comments upon goings-on at the Kit Kat Club, all in the context of the rising power of the Nazis and escalating political tensions.