Martin, Hayden, Etc. Set for London Cabaret Revival

Whatsonstage.com reports that some principal casting has been announced for the upcoming London revival of the divinely decadent musical classic Cabaret, which will open on October 10th at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, after beginning previews on September 22nd.  It is set to play through April 7th, 2007.

Starring in the production will be Anna Maxwell Martin (His Dark Materials, The Coast of Utopia in London) as British chanteuse Sally Bowles, James Dreyfus (Donkeys' Year in the West End, Olivier Award for Lady in the Dark) will play the cunning Emcee, Sheila Hancock (Sweeney Todd, Annie in the West End) will play Fraulein Schneider and Michael Hayden (Cabaret, Festen, etc. on Broadway, Carousel in London and on Broadway) will play the bookish Cliff. 

Bill Kenwright will produce the classic Kander and Ebb musical, which is set in the Kit Kat Klub in Weimar-era Berlin, and concerns flamboyant cabaret singer Sally Bowles, who blinds herself to the political terrors just around the corner. Rufus Norris (Festen) is set to direct.

The 1966 Broadway classic features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Joe Masteroff (based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories). It won eight 1967 Tony Awards--including ones for Best Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Joel Grey) and Best Director (Hal Prince). Ron Field choreographed. The 1972 film version--with a somewhat different plot--was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, and starred Liza Minnelli as Sally; Fosse, Minnelli and Grey (who repeated his role as the Emcee) all won Oscars. The 1998 revival, directed by Sam Mendes, was also a long-running hit and won four Tony Awards--including Tonys for stars Natasha Richardson and Alan Cumming. A 1987 revival, directed again by Prince, preceded it on Broadway.

Cabaret was previously produced on the West End in 1968 (with Dame Judi Dench as Sally), in 1986 and in 1993 at the Donmar Warehouse (with Cumming and Jane Horrocks). That production served as the basis for Mendes' Broadway revival.

Cabaret will also feature design by Katrina Lindsay and choreography by Javier De Frutos.