Full Casting Announced for West End Transfer of OUR LADIES OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR

Following a critically-acclaimed opening at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, subsequent UK tour and sell-out run last summer at the National Theatre, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour opens in the West End in May 2017 at the Duke of York's Theatre. Olivier Award-nominated for Best New Comedy and Best Supporting Actress for the entire company, Vicky Featherstone's smash-hit production of Lee Hall's adaptation of Alan Warner's The Sopranos sees Caroline Deyga (Chell), Karen Fishwick (Kay), Kirsty MacLaren (Manda), Frances Mayli McCann (Kylah) and Dawn Sievewright (Fionnula) reprise their roles, with Isis Hainsworth joining the company as Orla. Joining the company on stage are Amy Shackcloth (Musical Director/Keyboard), Lilly Howard (Assistant Musical Director/Keyboard), Emily Linden (Guitar) and Becky Brass (Percussion).

The production opens on 15 May, with previews from 9 May. With tickets from just £10 and all previews priced at £30 and under, over 30,000 tickets will be priced at £30 and under throughout the run.

From the creator of Billy Elliot (Lee Hall) comes the uplifting and moving story of six Catholic school girls from Oban, let loose in Edinburgh for the day. Funny, raucous and heart-breaking, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is adapted from Alan Warner's brilliant novel about six young friends on the cusp of change.

Featuring, amongst others, the songs of ELO, Our Ladies is a glorious anthem to friendship, youth and growing up disgracefully.

Prepare thyself for 24 hours of holy chaos. Contains singing, hilarity, sambuca and strong language.

Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First Award, a Herald Angel Award, a Little Devil Herald Award and a Stage Ensemble Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015, the production also received a Tonic Award at the inaugural awards just last week. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre, and presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott M. Delman, Gail Berman Theatricals and Tulchin Bartner Productions in association with William Court Cohen, Ashley M. DeSimone & Jeremiah J. Harris.

Lee Hall has been writer-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Live Theatre, Newcastle Upon Tyne. His theatre work includes The Pitmen Painters (Live Theatre/National Theatre of Great Britain/Broadway/West End/UK tour, Evening Standard Best Play Award and TMA Best New Play Award), Billy Elliot - The Musical (West End/Australia/Broadway/Chicago, Olivier Award - Best Musical and nine Tony Awards including Best Book) and Cooking with Elvis (Live Theatre/West End). His adaptations include Shakespeare In Love (Noel Coward Theatre), The Barber of Seville (Bristol Old Vic), The Good Hope (National Theatre of Great Britain), Mother Courage (Shared Experience/Ambassadors Theatre), The Adventures of Pinocchio (Lyric, Hammersmith), A Servant to Two Masters (Royal Shakespeare Company/Young Vic), Mr Puntila and his Man Matti (Almeida Theatre) and Leonce and Lena (Gate Theatre). For opera, his work includes an English adaptation of I Pagliacci (English National Opera). Film work includes War Horse and Billy Elliot (Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay). Television work includes Toast, The Wind in the Willows, A Prince of Hearts and Spoonface Steinberg. Radio work includes I Luv You Jimmy Spud (Writers' Guild Award Best New Play/Gold Sony Award Best New Play/Alfred Bradley Award/Society of Authors Award), Spoonface Steinberg, I Love You, Ragie Patel, The Sorrows of Sandra Saint, Blood Sugar, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Gristle, Child of the Snow and Child of the Rain, all for the BBC.

Artistic Director of the Royal Court Vicky Featherstone directs - she joined the Royal Court in January 2013. At the Court she has recently directed Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland in the Theatre Upstairs and the Abbey Theatre Dublin, and X by Alistair McDowall in the Theatre Downstairs. Previous directing at the Royal Court includes Zinnie Harris's How to Hold Your Breath; Molly Davies's award-winning God Bless the Child; Maidan: Voices from the Uprising; Abi Morgan's The Mistress Contract; Dennis Kelly's The Ritual Slaughter of George Mastromas; Ali McDowell's Talk Show; Nicole Beckwith's Untitled Matriach Play and The President Has Come to See You by Georgian playwright Lasha Bugadze. Her other work includes Enquirer, An Appointment with the Wicker Man; 27; The Wheel; Somersaults (National Theatre of Scotland); The Small Things; Pyrenees; On Blindness; Tiny Dynamite; Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco; Splendour, and Crave (Paines Plough). She was Artistic Director of Paines Plough 1997-2005 and was the founding Artistic Director of The National Theatre of Scotland 2005-2012. She began her career at West Yorkshire Playhouse and in television.

The National Theatre of Scotland is dedicated to playing the great stages, arts centres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations of Scotland, the UK and internationally. As well as creating ground-breaking productions and working with the most talented theatre-makers, the National Theatre of Scotland produces significant community engagement projects, innovates digitally and works constantly to develop new talent. Central to this is finding pioneering ways to reach current and new audiences and to encourage people's full participation in the Company's work. With no performance building of its own, the Company works with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. Founded in 2006, the Company, in its short life, has become a globally-significant theatrical player, with an extensive repertoire of award-winning work. The National Theatre of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

Live Theatre is recognised as one of the great new writing theatres on the international stage. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne it is deeply rooted in its local community and produces work as varied and diverse as the audiences it engages with.

As well as championing the art of writing for stage by producing and presenting new plays, Live Theatre finds, nurtures and trains creative talent and uses theatre to unlock the potential of young people.

The theatre is a beautifully restored and refurbished complex of five Grade II listed buildings with state-of-the-art facilities in a unique historical setting including both cabaret style theatre and Studio Theatres. In 2016, Live Garden, an outdoor performance space, and Live Tales, a centre for children and young people's creative story writing, were added.

Founded in 1973, Live Theatre is a national leader in developing new strategies for increasing income and assets for the charity. To sustain and extend its artistic programme it has diversified its income streams to include Live Works, the purchase and development of commercial property for rental income; an award winning gastro pub The Broad Chare; The Schoolhouse a hub for creative businesses, and on-line interactive playwriting course www.beaplaywright.com.

Live Theatre is grateful for the support of Arts Council England and the Newcastle Culture Investment Fund through the Community Foundation, and its many other friends and supporters. For more information visit www.live.org.uk.

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