Aston Merrygold to Star as Willard in FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL UK Tour

Selladoor Worldwide has announced that Aston Merrygold will join the cast of Footloose the Musical to perform in the role of Willard in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Wimbledon from 25 July.

Aston Merrygold is best known for his incredible stage presence during his time with X Factor formed band JLS. He has gone on to sell out countless arena tours and has sold over 10 million records, including five Number 1 hits and numerous awards. Whilst the band took a seven year break, Aston made strides in his solo career appearing in the West End, on Strictly Come Dancing and releasing his platinum debut single 'Get Stupid' and more recently 'Overboard' and 'Share a Coke'. JLS made their comeback last year and performed all over the UK and Ireland.

Alongside pursuing his musical ambitions, Aston has remained at the forefront of entertainment, becoming a judge on the Sky 1 talent show, Got to Dance. He was also unmasked as Robin in the Semi Finals of the 2020/2021 series of the Masked Singer UK and joined the cast of CBBC's comedy drama, 'Almost Never', playing Jordan. Most recently, Aston was a panellist for the Masked Singer Live tour across the UK.

Aston said of joining Footloose: "I'm delighted to be joining the phenomenal cast of Footloose. Willard is a superb role and I'm really looking forward to the challenge of stepping into such a lovable, comedy part and performing on these amazing stages. Footloose is just the best night out and I guarantee if you come along you'll leave with a spring in your step and a smile on your face. I'm so looking forward to working with this team and I can't wait to see you all there."

Additional casting remains including Darren Day as Reverend Moore with Lucy Munden (Ariel), Oonagh Cox (Rusty), Anna Westlake (Lulu) Alex Fobbester (Bickle) Ben Barrow (Wes) Ben Mabberley (Jeter) Geri Allen (Ethel) Holly Ashton (Vi), Jess Barker (Wendy-Jo) Joshua Hawkins (Ren) Samantha Richards (Urleen) Tom Mussell (Chuck) and Daniel Miles and Lucy Ireland as off-stage swings.

City boy Ren thinks life is bad enough when he's forced to move to a rural backwater in America. But his world comes to a standstill when he arrives at Bomont to find dancing and rock music are banned. Taking matters into his own hands, soon Ren has all hell breaking loose and the whole town on its feet.

Based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm, Footloose The Musical sizzles with spirit, fun and the best in UK musical talent. With cutting edge modern choreography, you'll enjoy classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let's Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose.

Footloose The Musical is presented by Selladoor Productions, Runaway Entertainment and Jason Haigh Ellery with casting by Debbie O'Brien, direction by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland, design by Sara Perks with lighting design from Chris Davey and sound design from Chris Whybrow.

Everybody cut loose for a night of dazzling excitement music and dancing!

Tickets are on sale now - for full listings visit www.footloose-musical.com follow on social media @FootlooseTour #EverybodyCutLoose.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

Performance times and matinee days may vary - ticket prices may vary - please check website for details

For full performance visit www.footloose-musical.com At all other performances the role of Willard will be played by Jake Quickenden

Aston will perform as Willard at the following venues:

25 - 30 JUL - His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen - www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

01 - 06 AUG - Glasgow Kings www.atgtickets.com/glasgow 0333 009 6690

15 - 20 AUG - Wimbledon New Theatre - www.atgtickets/wimbledon 0333 009 6690

ABOUT Aston Merrygold

Known for his incredible stage presence during his time with X Factor formed band JLS, it is not surprising that the band has gone on to sell out countless arena tours and sell over 10 million records, including five Number 1 hits and numerous awards. Whilst the band took a seven year break, Aston made strides in his career appearing on the West End, Strictly Come Dancing and released his platinum debut single 'Get Stupid' and most recently 'Overboard' and 'Share a Coke'. JLS made their comeback last year and performed to sold out arenas all over the UK and Ireland.

Alongside pursuing his musical ambitions and being a husband and father to his two sons, Aston has continued to remain at the forefront of entertainment, becoming a judge on the Sky 1 talent show, Got To Dance. He was also unmasked as Robin in the Semi Finals for the 2020/2021 series of Masked Singer UK and joined the cast of CBBC's comedy drama, 'Almost Never', playing Jordan, the new manager of 'The Wonderland'. Most recently, Aston was a panellist for the Masked Singer Live tour across the UK.

Aston has utilised his social following and uses his platform to create comedic, upbeat and entertaining content across Instagram and TikTok. His engaging personality and quick-wit has opened many doors to working with global brands including the likes of BMW, Nespresso, Amazon and Spotify.

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