Clare Burt Replaces Haydn Gwynne in STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S OLD FRIENDS

Clare Burt will join the company of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre when the show begins performances on 21 September. 

This follows the news last week that Haydn Gwynne had to withdraw from the production owing to sudden personal circumstances.

Cameron Mackintosh said today “I am so thrilled that another wonderfully talented Old Friend, Clare Burt, who started out with me in the early years of both CATS and LES MISÉRABLES and is now a much-loved leading stage and screen actress, has literally stepped off a plane in order to step in for Haydn Gwynne who, sadly, had to suddenly withdraw last week. Our Old Friends cast is now complete and this sensational all-star ensemble is raring to strut their extraordinary stuff from Thursday 21st September at the Gielgud Theatre”.

Clare Burt’s work in theatre includes: Flowers for Mrs Harris (Chichester Festival Theatre/Sheffield Crucible - Winner of the 2016 UK Theatre Award for her performance in the title role) London Road, The Miracle, DNA and Babygirl, Coram Boy and Sunday in the Park with George (National Theatre), This is My Family (Chichester Festival Theatre), The American Clock (Old Vic), Miss Littlewood (RSC), Big Fish (The Other Palace), The Divide (Edinburgh Festival/Old Vic), Sunspots (Hampstead Theatre), Game (Almeida Theatre),  A Streetcar Named Desire, Vernon God Little (Young Vic), Into the Woods, Company and Nine (Donmar Warehouse), Now You Know (Metropolitan Room New York/ Pizza on the Park) The Hired Man (Astoria Theatre) and Passion (Bridewell). Screen work includes: Friday Night Dinner, The Children Next Door, Top Boy (C4) The Long Shadow, Tina and Bobby (ITV), Call the Midwife, Holby City, Salisbury Poisonings, Cuffs, Criminal Justice, Fair Cop (BBC) and feature films London Road, Broken, X&Y, The Levelling.

The cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends is led by Broadway Legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. They are joined by Christine Allado, Clare Burt, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Bonnie Langford, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton and Beatrice Penny-Touré. The company also includes Harry Apps, Bella Brown, Richard Dempsey and Monique Young, completing a cast that is truly the best of the West End and Broadway.

Celebrating the life and work of the great Stephen Sondheim, last year’s Gala performance of Old Friends won the Best Theatre Event at the 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards. It sold out within a couple of hours last year leaving thousands of disappointed fans unable to get tickets. Now by popular demand, audiences will have another chance to see the never to be forgotten and one of the most talked about theatrical events of the year.

Devised and Produced by Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends has Direction and Musical staging by Matthew Bourne, side by side with Julia McKenzie, with choreography by Stephen Mear, conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo, musical supervision is by Stephen Brooker, musical arrangements by Stephen Metcalfe, set design by Matt Kinley, projection design by George Reeve, costume design by Jill Parker, lighting design by Warren Letton and sound design by Mick Potter.