The Countdown Is On Until The Magic Of PIPPIN Arrives In Manchester

The countdown is now on until Manchester audiences are taken on a magical journey with the talented cast of musical PIPPIN, which opens in less than two weeks.

The show will receive its Manchester premiere at the city's award winning Hope Mill Theatre when it opens on Friday 25 August for a four-week run, continuing through to Saturday 23 September.

PIPPIN is the fourth musical collaboration between Hope Mill Theatre and Aria Entertainment, who first joined forces in January 2016 to spearhead the arts venue as a platform to showcase, revive and bring new musical theatre to the North.

The talented cast and creative team are busy rehearsing, gearing up to bring Manchester audiences a magical theatrical experience with the revival of the award-winning Broadway musical.

PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince, the heir to a throne, and his journey to find meaning to life - only to discover true happiness is more complicated than he thought.

The Tony Award-winning musical was written by Roger O. Hirson and features a stunning score from composer Stephen Schwartz, who composed the global smash hit musical WICKED.

The full cast for PIPPIN was recently announced as Mairi Barclay as Fastrada/Berthe (A Damsel In Distress); Jonathan Carlton as Pippin (The Hired Man); Bradley Judge as Lewis (Yank!); Tessa Kadler as Catherine (Carousel); Rhidian Marc as Charles (Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables); and Genevieve Nicole as Leading Player (Chicago, The Producers).

They will be joined by Olivia Faulkner; AnDrew Halliday; Scott Hayward; and Ellie Seaton as The Company of Players.

PIPPIN will be directed in Manchester by Jonathan O'Boyle (director of Hair, resident director of American in Paris) and co-produced by Guy James; Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment; and Joseph Houston and William Whelton for Hope Mill Theatre.

The creative team also includes musical director Zach Flis, choreographer William Whelton, designer Maeve Black; lighting designer Aaron J Dootson; and Sound Designer Chris Bogg.

Aria Entertainment is a theatrical Production Company headed by Manchester-born Katy, who has a wealth of experience in producing new and established works in the West End, Off West End, Edinburgh Festival and UK tours.

Co-producer Guy James commented: "Rehearsals are going extremely well and we're very excited to see how Manchester welcomes this stunning musical. The city's audiences have already embraced our previous headline productions of Parade, Hair and Yank! at Hope Mill Theatre, and now we're confident that PIPPIN will prove equally as popular. The cast have gelled incredibly well, and it's wonderful to see how PIPPIN is developing as we progress towards opening."

Hope Mill Theatre opened in December 2015, and is located in the Grade II Listed Hope Mill. The theatre is the brainchild of Joseph Houston and William Whelton who, after a career in theatre and living in London, were inspired by the highly regarded Off West End Theatres and wanted to replicate them by forming a creative hub in Manchester. The five-storey mill is also home to writers, artists and designers. The 150-seater Ancoats theatre has since won numerous awards and two of the previous productions, Hair and Yank receiving London transfers.

Joseph Houston from Hope Mill Theatre said: "We are thrilled that Hope Mill Theatre will once again host a regional premiere. Our collaboration with Katy at Aria Entertainment is allowing us to really push the boundaries of musicals on this scale and is spearheading not only the venue, but the North as a key player in musical producing. The theatre's special atmosphere will most definitely complement the magic of PIPPIN and I know that director, Jonathan O'Boyle, has been inspired by the venues history in creating a vaudevillian world where the performers bring the story to life - and I look forward to seeing how audiences react."

Website: www.hopemilltheatre.co.uk

Facebook: @PippinManchester

Twitter: @PippinMCR @hopemilltheatr1

To post a comment, you must register and login.