TOYBOY DIARIES Comes to the Hope Mill Theatre

The cast and creative team has been announced for the World Premiere of The ToyBoy Diaries, the new British musical that is to be the first production staged in 2018 at the critically-acclaimed Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.

The production, adapted from the best-selling memoirs by Wendy Salisbury, runs from Thursday 18 January to Saturday 10 February 2018 and is the first of five in-house musicals next year from the successful collaboration between Joseph Houston and William Whelton, co-founders of Hope Mill Theatre and producer Katy Lipson, of Aria Entertainment.

This new musical comedy charts the hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking sagas of mid-life dating.

When twice-divorced Lily inadvertently finds herself under a much younger man, it opens the door to a wild new world of inappropriate relationships. From Tom the Tender to Sam the Submissive, via Paul the Policeman, Hat Trick Patrick and Matt the Monstrous (with Old Willy and Philandering Phil mixed in along the way) Lily finally finds Ben the Bountiful.

The ToyBoy Diaries has a book by Simon Warne, music and lyrics by Andy Collyer and is based on the best-selling memoirs of Wendy Salisbury. Directed by Tania Azevedo.

The cast has now been announced for The Toyboy Diaries. The lead role of Lily will be played by Johanne Murdock. Recent stage roles include Brutus in Julius Caesar and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Anne Hathaway in The Other Shakespeare (Pitchfork Productions). Film and television credits include Chameleon and Holby City.

The production also features Olivier Award-nominee Nicola Blackman (Destiny Rides Again, Babe the Sheep Pig, Gilgamesh and Just to Get Married) as Lily's best friend Penny. Matt Beveridge (The Frontier Trilogy, Titanic - Toronto and House of Therapy - Off Broadway) plays ToyBoy 1. Sharif Afifi (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Wonderland - UK Tour) is ToyBoy 2. Alistair Higgins (Dreamboats and Petticoats - UK Tour, Sweeney Todd - Brighton, Charlotte's Web) plays ToyBoy 3.

The ToyBoy Diaries has music and lyrics by Andy Collyer (Little Women and Pippin Orchestrations - Hope Mill Theatre, The Verb, 'To Love' - Old Red Lion Theatre, Claus - Landor Theatre) and a book by his regular collaborator Simon Warne (Claus - Landor Theatre, Truth Talks - Southwark Playhouse, Double Effect - Finborough, and Original Spin - New End Hampstead.)

Director Tania Azevdeo's recent credits include Tenderly (New Wimbledon Theatre) XY (Page to Stage - The Other Palace) Paper Hears (Edinburgh Fringe and International Tour), Hello Again - Hope Theatre.)

The ToyBoy Diaries has musical direction by Andrew Griffiths, choreography by Sam Spencer-Lane, design by Jason Denvir, lighting design by Ben M Rogers, sound design by Calum Robinson,

Following The ToyBoy Diaries at Hope Mill Theatre is a new revival of the acclaimed modern Broadway hit Spring Awakening (Thursday 29 March to Thursday 3 May 2018) and Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Aspects of Love (Thursday 5 July to Thursday 9 August 2018). Two more yet-to-be announced productions will follow in Autumn/Winter.

The ToyBoy Diaries runs from Thursday 18 January to Saturday 10 February 2018 and is on sale now.

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