Carrie Hope Fletcher and Shaun Williamson Join Touring Cast of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Further casting has been announced for the Music & Lyrics Limited and West Yorkshire Playhouse production of the much-loved Sherman Brothers musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. From May 4 until October 2, Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Miserables, War of the Worlds) - a member of the original 2002 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cast - will play Truly Scrumptious, and from May 4 until August 21, Shaun Williamson (The Railway Children, EastEnders) will play Lord Scrumptious/Baron Bomburst. Phill Jupitus (The Producers, Hairspray), who currently plays the roles of Lord Scrumptious and Baron Bomburst, returns to the show from August 24.

As previously announced, Lee Mead (Casualty, Legally Blonde, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) will play Caractacus Potts from May 4 until September 18, with Jason Manford (The Producers, Sweeney Todd) returning to the role, which he is currently playing, from September 21. Martin Kemp continues as the Childcatcher until April 24. Casting for further dates is to be announced.

Both Michelle Collins (EastEnders, Coronation Street) as Baroness Bomburst, and Andy Hockley (The Phantom Of The Opera) as Grandpa Potts continue in their roles until February 4, 2017. Ewen Cummins plays The Toymaker/Mr Coggins, with Sam Harrison as Boris and Scott Paige as Goran, and Kathryn Barnes, Rosanna Bates, Alex Louize Bird, Abigail Climer, Jade Davies, Matt Gillett, Ewan Gillies, Joanna Goodwin, Nathan Vaughan Harris, Christopher D Hunt, Paul Iveson, Nia Jermin, Kelsie-Rae Marshall, Mollie Melia-Redgrave, Perry O'Dea, Matt Overfield, Ross Russell, Craig Turner and Robert Wilkes.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, who were also responsible for Mary Poppins, The Slipper and the Rose, The Aristocats and The Jungle Book. The Sherman Brothers have won two Academy Awards with a further nine nominations, two Grammy Awards and they have received 21 gold and platinum albums. The film made from Ian Fleming's classic story has been adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams, based on the MGM Motion Picture Licensed Script adapted by Ray Roderick.

This new touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which opened at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on February 10, is directed by West Yorkshire Playhouse Artistic Director James Brining, with new choreography by Stephen Mear. There is a live orchestra with Musical Supervision by Stephen Ridley. Set and costume design is by Simon Higlett, lighting design is by Tim Mitchell, sound design is by Ben Harrison and video design is by Simon Wainwright.

There are sensational sets and stunning special effects and, of course, the memorable score by the Sherman Brothers, which includes such standards as Truly Scrumptious, Toot Sweets, Hushabye Mountain and the Oscar-nominated title song Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For more information and tour dates, visit www.chittythemusical.co.uk

This production is presented by permission of Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

West Yorkshire Playhouse has a reputation both nationally and internationally as a leading UK producing theatre. The theatre is a cultural hub, a place where people gather to tell and share stories and to engage in world-class theatre. From large scale spectacle to intimate performance the Playhouse develops and makes work for the stage, for found spaces, for touring, for schools and community venues. Alongside work for the stage the Playhouse is dedicated to providing creative engagement opportunities, building and running sustainable projects that reach out to a diverse range of communities. Supporting new and emerging artists is key and the theatre provides creative space for new writers, emerging directors, companies and individual theatre makers to refine their practice. Work for 2015/16 includes Richard III directed by Mark Rosenblatt; Greta Scacchi in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie; Testament in Blake Remixed at the Edinburgh Fringe; a new production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang directed by James Brining and the redevelopment of Brining's award-winning production of Sweeney Todd with the WNO and WMC.

Music & Lyrics Limited is an award-winning nationwide consortium comprised of the UK's major independent touring theatres. It aims to champion music theatre in all its forms and provide extended life to productions created by the UK's major producing theatres. Music & Lyrics won The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre at the UK Theatre Awards 2012.

Music & Lyrics was founded in 2011 and its inaugural production was a revival of Curve Leicester's celebrated production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, which was nominated for Best Touring Production in the UK Theatre Awards 2012. This was followed by a tour of High Society in 2012. The 2013/14 tour of Fiddler on the Roof starring Paul Michael Glaser and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood was nominated for three awards in the Manchester Theatre Awards including Best Musical, and won Emily O'Keefe the BroadwayWorld.com UK Award for Best Featured Actress in a New Production of a Musical for her role as Tzeitel. Between them, these three tours played over 500 performances, were seen by almost half a million people, and grossed £12million at the box office.

Music & Lyrics' most recent production was the current critically acclaimed UK and Ireland Tour of Oklahoma!, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with new choreography by Drew McOnie, which starred Belinda Lang, Gary Wilmot, Ashley Day (nominated for a UK Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Musical for the role), Charlotte Wakefield and Nic Greenshields.

Led by Executive Producer, John Stalker, Music & Lyrics is unique amongst touring companies committed to presenting musicals as it is a consortium of the UK's largest and most successful No1 presenting venues - each member sharing the risks and rewards of bringing major musical productions to large and enthusiastic audiences.

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