Simon MacCorkindale Is West End's New Captain Von Trapp

 Simon MacCorkindale will star as 'Captain Von Trapp' opposite Summer Strallen playing 'Maria' in the smash hit West End musical "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" at the London Palladium from Monday 25 August. Best known for his starring role as 'Harry Harper' in three series of the hugely popular and successful "Casualty" on television, his other television credits include "Obsessive Love", "Falcon's Gold", "Quatermass", "Jesus of Nazareth", "Gemini" and "Dynasty". He has starred in films including "Juggernaut", "Death on the Nile" and "The Riddle of the Sands". He has directed a number of theatre productions including "The Dark Lady of the Sonnets" at the Royal National Theatre and "Pygmalion" at the Albery Theatre.  

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" will continue to feature Margaret Preece as 'Mother Abbess', Fiona Sinnott as 'The Baroness' and Paul Grunert as 'Max'. Rebecca Lucie and Nadim Naaman will take over the roles of 'Liesl' and 'Rolf ' on 25 August.  

The smash hit new production of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein musical opened to rave reviews and sell-out business at the London Palladium in November 2006. The production has now been seen by well over a million people. "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" originally premiered on Broadway in 1959, when it won six Tony Awards, including "Best Musical".  The show first opened in London in 1961 and its last London revival was in 1981, both productions having record-breaking runs.  The 1965 Hollywood film, which starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Oscars, including "Best Picture". "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" has music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp.

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" is directed by Jeremy Sams, with choreography by Arlene Phillips, design by Robert Jones, sound by Mick Potter, lighting by Mark Henderson and musical supervision by Simon Lee.

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" is presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian, The Really Useful Group and Live Nation.

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" is booking until 28 February 2009.  Performance times at the London Palladium are at 7.30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays – Saturdays, with Tuesday performances at 7.00pm, and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.  Tickets, priced from £25.00 - £55.00 including all booking fees, are available from the London Palladium Box Office on 0870 890 1108 or at www.soundofmusiclondon.com