Helena Blackman, Alastair Brookshaw, Fra Fee & Pete Gallagher to Lead A WINTER'S TALE at Landor Theatre; Full Cast Announced!

Arion Productions Ltd have announced the full cast for the professional world premiere of A Winter's Tale, a brand new British musical at the Landor Theatre, this November, including Helena Blackman, Alastair Brookshaw, Fra Fee, Pete Gallagher and a host of recognisable West End alumni.

Helena Blackman will be playing the role of Paulina. Helena is best known for being the runner up in the BBC television series, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for Maria Von Trap for the West End revival of the musical The Sound Of Music. She was nominated for a TMA award for best supporting actor for her role as Nellie Forbush in the UK number one tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific as well as being nominated for an Off West End Award for her portrayal of Gertrude Lawrence in Noel and Gertie. Other credits include Saturday Night, where she starred as leading lady Helen Fogel. Helena has performed and worked with composers Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stiles & Drewe, Kander & Ebb and Charles Miller, has sung for the Gershwin and David Heneker families, appeared on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night as well as featured on countless albums and recordings.

Alastair Brookshaw plays Polixines. Alastair is best known for playing the lead role of Leo Frank in last years critically acclaimed production of Parade at the Southwark Playhouse. Other notable productions include Bed and Sofa at the Finborough Theatre, Cabaret by Kander and Ebb, Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre), The Hot Mikado (Watermill Theatre) and Notes from New York amongst many others.

Fra Fee plays Florizel. Fra is one of the most exciting young musical theatre performers currently working in the industry. He has just finished appearing in Les Miserables understudying and playing Marius and Enjorlas in the West End. He recently transferred those skills from stage to the big screen, soon to be playing Courfeyrac in the new film version of Les Miserables soon to be shown in cinemas worldwide. Other notable appearances include Billy in Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre), Schlomo (RTE Television) and Aaron in the Silas Marner extracts recently performed at the St. James Theatre; also by Howard Goodall.

Leading the company will be well established musical theatre performer Pete Gallagher as the tyrannical King Leontes. Pete has recently finished playing Caiaphas in the arena tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and recently played Reed in the critically acclaimed production of The Fix at the Union Theatre. Other notable credits include playing Jud Fry in Julian Woolford's production of Oklahoma!, Jerry in Howard Pinter's Betrayal, Victor Fleming in Moonlight & Magnolias and The Pirates of Penzance (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Dr. Dolittle (Hammersmith Apollo), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Regents Park) as well as The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz and many others iconic musical productions.

The cast will also included a phenomenal line up of established and up-and-coming professionals such as Helen Power as Ekatarina (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sunset Boulevard, The Blonde Bombshells of 1943), Christopher Blades as Camillo (The Phantom of The Opera, The Sound of Music, Jekyll & Hyde), Abigail Matthews as Perdita (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Hired Man, Evita), Ross Barnes as Antigonus (Carousel, Little Shop of Horrors, Children of Eden), Catherine Mort as Emilia (The Hired Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Welsh Musical Theatre Singer of the Year 2009), Gareth James Healey as Zeki (A Man of No Importance, A Fetus in America, Don Diovanni), Denis Delahunt as Melik (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Twelth Night, Measure for Measure), Ciaran Joyce as Rob Autolycus (Torchwood, Les Miserables, The Story of Tracy Beaker), Rachael-Louise Miller (The Cradle Will Rock, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) with David Brewis, Joe McCourt, Lauren McGloan, Matthew Ronchetti and Raymond Walsh.

A Winter's Tale is inspired by The Winter's Tale, although not a direct adaptation of one of Shakespeare's last and most experimental plays, it explores two very different lands that one day must conquer their differences through the universal themes of love, understanding and truth. This world premiere features a powerful and evocative new score and lyrics from Howard Goodall (Love Story, Girlfriends, The Hired Man), with a clever, deeply touching and often humorous book by Nick Stimson (NHS The Musical, Who Ate All The Pies, Korczak) and Andrew Keates, who has developed will be directing this brand new show (director of the multi-award winning and critically acclaimed production of The Hired Man last year as well as Passing By, The Thing About Men, Bent, Just So).

The show will tell this epic story in the intimate environment of the Landor Theatre, where for the past few years this small theatre has garnered a reputation for undertaking these kinds of challenges better than any other. Anyone will understand this chilly tale who has ever been jealous, fallen in love or simply wanted to undo a mistake. For the first time ever the story of The Winter's Tale will be told simply through musical theatre for a modern audience. Inspired by Britain's greatest writer and coupled with one of our greatest composers; It is almost certainly set to be the most eagerly anticipated piece of new British musical theatre in London this year.

The production team features distinguished creatives such as George Dyer as musical supervisor/director (Merrily We Roll Along, Annie, Ragtime), musical staging by Cressida Carré (The Hired Man, Burlesque, Spring Awakening), Martin Thomas as designer (Curtains, Ragtime, Guys and Dolls), multi-award-winning lighting designer Howard Hudson (Mack and Mabel, Parade, The Hired Man), Sarah Weltman as sound designer (The Hired Man, The Damnation of Faust, Idemoneo), and costume designer Philippa Batt (Passing By, Soho Cinders).

A Winter's Tale plays for only four weeks in London's Landor Theatre. Tickets are extremely limited for this strictly limited run. Pre-booking is strongly advised through the Landor Theatre's website. Special student tickets, concessions and group bookings are available, please telephone the Landor's box office for more information.

CAST

Leontes: Pete Gallagher
Polixines: Alastair Brookshaw
Ekatarina: Helen Power
Paulina: Helena Blackman
Camillo: Christopher Blades
Antigonus: Ross Barnes
Mamillius: David Brewis
Emilia: Catherine Mort
Florizel: Fra Fee
Perdita: Abigail Matthews
Zeki: Gareth James Healey
Melik: Denis Delahunt
Rob: Ciaran Joyce
Gaoler: Matthew Ronchetti
Mopsa: Lauren McGloan
Dorcas: Rachael-Louise Miller
Cleomenes: Raymond Walsh
Prosecutor: Joe McCourt

PRODUCTION TEAM

Directed by Andrew Keates
Musical Director & Supervisor: George Dyer
Musical Staging: Cressida Carré
Designer: Martin Thomas
Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson
Sound Designer: Sarah Weltman
Costume Designer: Philippa Batt
Stage Manager: Will Mauchline
Produced by: Arion Productions Ltd

A Winter's Tale runs Wednesday 7th November - Saturday 1st December 2012; Wednesday 7th - Sun 11th November 2012 (Preview Performances); Monday 12th November 2012 @ 7.30pm (Press Night); Tuesday - Thursday & Saturday (Evening Performances 7.30pm) Friday (Evening Performances 7pm) and Saturday & Sunday (Matinees 3pm).

Tickets £18 (Concessions £15). £10 Student Tickets (Please note, that student tickets are only available vis telephone bookings or at the box office in person, provided that a valid student card is presented with photo ID. Only 1 x ticket per student. Group bookings are available for educational institutions. Telephone the Landor Theatre for further information on 020 7737 7276.

The Landor Theatre is located at 70 Landor Road, Clapham North, SW9 9PH. Box Office: 020 7737 7276 Online Bookings: www.landortheatre.com. Nearest Tube: Clapham North (two minutes away from the theatre). Further information available at www.arion-productions.com.

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