Chichester Festival Theatre's THE PAJAMA GAME, Starring Hadley Fraser and Joanna Riding, Will Begin April 22

Distinguished director Richard Eyre returns to Chichester to open Festival 2013 with THE PAJAMA GAME. Love is in the air at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory as handsome new Superintendent Sid Sorokin falls head-over-heels for firebrand Union rep Babe Williams. But when the employees are refused a seven-and-a-half cents an hour raise, sparks fly and the couple find themselves deliciously at odds. Will love, eventually, conquer all in this delightful romantic comedy?

The Pajama Game includes the songs Hey There (You With The Stars In Your Eyes), Hernando's Hideaway and Steam Heat.

Hadley Fraser plays Sid Sorokin. His West End theatre includes LES MISERABLES, The Far Pavilions and The Fantasticks. Broadway theatre includes The Pirate Queen. Film credits include The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary and LES MISERABLES.

Joanna Riding plays Catherine 'Babe' Williams. Her theatre credits include National Theatre productions of A Little Night Music and Guys and Dolls, as well as My Fair Lady and Carousel; she won Olivier Awards for the latter two productions. West End credits include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Billy Elliot, The Witches of Eastwick and Blithe Spirit (also UK tour). Her television credits include the Sky comedy Stella.

Peter Polycarpou plays Vernon Hines. His Chichester credits include Sweeney Todd and Love Story, both of which transferred to the West End. Other credits include the West End productions of LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon and The Secret Garden, Oklahoma! for The National Theatre, and the popular BBC sitcom, Birds of a Feather.

The cast also includes Jenna Boyd, Dan Burton, Ricardo Coke-Thomas, Amy Griffiths, Richard Jones, Claire Machin, Eugene McCoy, Jo Morris, Sophia Nomvete, Landi Oshinowo, Alexis Owen Hobbs, Carl Sanderson, John Stacey, Colin Stinton and Lauren Varnham.

Richard Eyre directed The Last Cigarette for Chichester. He was Artistic Director of The National Theatre from 1988 - 1997 where his productions included Guys and Dolls, Racing Demon, Richard III, The Night of the Iguana and Skylight. He has recently directed Betty Blue Eyes and the current West End production of Quartermaine's Terms. Film and television credits include Notes on a Scandal, Stage Beauty, Iris, Comedians, Henry IV Parts I and II and Tumbledown.

Choreography is by Stephen Mear, whose Chichester credits include Kiss Me, Kate (which recently completed a season at The Old Vic), She Loves Me (which he also directed), The Music Man, Funny Girl and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. West End credits include Shoes, Mary Poppins, Hello, Dolly! and Crazy for You. Mear worked with Trevor Nunn on The National Theatre's 2002 production of Cole Porter's Anything Goes which transferred for an extended West End run.

Design is by Tim Hatley whose theatre credits include West End productions of Spamalot (also Broadway), Shrek the Musical (also Broadway and UK tour), Betty Blue Eyes (also US tour), Private Lives (for which he won Tony and Olivier Awards) and Humble Boy (for which he won an Olivier Award). He has designed over 20 productions for The National Theatre including Stanley (for which he won an Olivier Award), Henry V, Vincent in Brixton, Endgame and Mrs Klein. Film credits include Notes on a Scandal, Stage Beauty and Closer.

Gareth Valentine is the Musical Supervisor and Musical Director, and is also responsible for the Dance Arrangements. His previous Chichester credits include Kiss Me, Kate (which recently finished a season at The Old Vic) and My One and Only. Other credits include the Olivier Award-winning production of Crazy For You (Open Air Theatre Regent's Park and West End), Into the Woods, End of the Rainbow (Royal & Derngate, West End, UK tour and Broadway), the Olivier-Award winning production of Company (Donmar Warehouse), the West End production of Wicked, Acorn Antiques (West End and UK tour), West End productions of Porgy and Bess and My One and Only, and the Olivier Award-winning production of Anything Goes (National Theatre and West End).

Lighting Design is by Howard Harrison whose Chichester credits include The Way of the World, Love Story (which transferred to the West End), Hay Fever, The House of Special Purpose, The Music Man, The Circle, Twelfth Night, Macbeth (which transferred to the West End, and for which he won an Olivier Award, BAM and Broadway), The Water Babies and Nocturne for Lovers. Other theatre credits include West End productions of Backbeat, Butley, Glengarry Glen Ross, Guys and Dolls, Ragtime and Heroes.

Sound Design is by Paul Groothuis whose Chichester credits include Kiss Me, Kate, Sweeney Todd and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, all of which transferred to the West End. Other credits include His Dark Materials, Edmond, Henry V and A Streetcar Named Desire (all for The National Theatre), Anything Goes, My Fair Lady and All My Sons (National Theatre and West End), as well as the West End productions of Children's Hour and Flare Path.

The Pajama Game is sponsored by Oldham Seals Group and Reynolds Fine Furniture.

The Pajama Game is at the Minerva Theatre from 22 April - 8 June. Evenings 7.45pm, except for Wednesdays at 8.00pm and the Press Night, Monday 29 April, 7.00pm. Matinees will be 2.45pm on Saturdays and 3.00pm on Wednesdays. Tickets: Previews/Press Night: £22.50, Evenings/Matinees: £31.50. To book, go to cft.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312.

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