Casting Announced For JACKIE THE MUSICAL At Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre From 24-28 May 2016

Written by Mike James, with choreography by Arlene Phillips and directed by Anna Linstrum, JACKIE THE MUSICAL will play at the New Alexandra Theatre from Tue 24 to Sat 28 May 2016, as part of a nationwide tour.

Supported by Jackie publishers DC Thomson, former magazine Editor Nina Myskow joins the production as Editor-in-Chief, and will head up a brand new digital/online TV channel JACKIE TV.

Once there was a time with no mobile phones, no apps, no texting, no e-mails and no Twitter. Angst ridden teenage girls waited with bated breath by the letterbox for their weekly issue of Jackie Magazine... unless their big sister got there first! Jackie accompanied millions of girls through their teenage years in the '70's and 80's, years of boy trouble, ironing hair and problem solving from resident agony aunts, Cathy and Claire. The magazine supported and inspired those girls and, best of all, it was great fun.

JACKIE THE MUSICAL revisits those heady days, and tells the story of a fifty-something divorcée who revisits her stash of well-thumbed Jackie magazines for the same reason she first read them nearly forty years ago: advice on how best to navigate the opposite sex.

The quizzes, the fashion tips, the 'do's and don'ts on a first date' and above all the Cathy and Claire problem pages are all devoured eagerly by our plucky heroine 'Jackie' as she revisits the dizzy world of the teen bible. With her ex and a handsome new guy both on the scene, the valuable lessons she learnt as a girl begin to influence her future and Jackie discovers the one person in control of her life is - her.

Funny and feisty, with a sound track featuring the era's most beloved and memorable hits, including the sounds of Pop Idols Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and Marc Bolan played live on stage, the show promises a whirlwind tour of Planet Seventies and a most fabulous night out!

Janet Dibley plays 'Jackie'. Janet became a household name in the 1980s, co-starring with Nicholas Lyndhurst in ITV's primetime The Two of Us, playing 'Elaine Walker' for all four series. She went on to star as 'Lorna Cartwright' in Eastenders, Carol McGarry in four series of Kay Mellor's Fat Friends, 'Deborah Johnson' in The Chase and most recently as 'Chaz Moore', in Broadchurch. Janet joined the cast of the BBC soap Doctors in 2010 as series regular 'Dr Elaine Cassidy' a role she played for over two years, and which also saw her writing for the show. Her theatre roles include the 2014 tour of Kindertransport, Absent Friends and Could Be Any One of Us at Scarborough, 'Sarah' in Richard Eyre's National Theatre Production of Guys and Dolls and 'Julie Jordan' in Stephen Pimlott's Carousel at the Manchester Royal Exchange.

Best known for his role as 'Anthony Trueman' in EastEnders, Nicholas Bailey was most recently seen on stage in the critically acclaimed production The Invisible at the Bush Theatre, London. Other television work includes Siblings and Doctors, whilst past credits include Anubis House, Miranda and Law & Order: UK

Graham Bickley plays 'John' and Nicholas Bailey plays 'Max'. Graham Bickley became a household name playing 'Joey Boswell' in Carla Lane's much loved BBC TV series Bread. He has starred in a host of hit West End musicals, including Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard and Ragtime, for which received an Olivier Award nomination. He regularly appears with the BBC Concert Orchestra and in concert halls across the country.

Nina Myskow says: "I'm so proud to have been editor of Jackie in its golden years in the 70's. It always was a girl's best friend, but I could never have imagined then that its spirit of fun and warmth would live on to become a musical today. It's such a brilliant idea, and I'm absolutely thrilled that I'm going to be involved, all over again. How exciting! And I can't wait to see it, to hear the music, and to be transported back to a time when we were all young, and not just young at heart."

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