Molloy and Booth Join Cast Of FINGS AIN'T WOT THEY USED T'BE

Mark Arden as Fred, Ryan Molloy as Horace, Stefan Booth as Tosher, Christopher Ryan as Red Hot, Vivian Carter as Myrtle, Stevie Hutchinson as Ted/PC 2, John Olohan as Paddy, Gary Watson as Norman/PC 1 andJoanna Woodward as Margaret join the previously announced BAFTA nominated Jessie Wallace (EastEnders) as Lil, Gary Kemp (The Krays/ The Bodyguard/Spandau Ballet) as PC Collins, Sarah Middleton as Rosie, Ruth Alfie Adams as Brenda, Will Barton as Percy and Suzie Chard as Betty to complete the cast of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be.

Coinciding with Joan Littlewood's Centenary, and alongside the new production of Oh What a Lovely War, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be is returning to Theatre Royal Stratford East in a new version by Olivier-nominatedElliot Davis (Loserville, Soho Cinders). The show will be directed by the multi award-winning Terry Johnson (Oh What A Lovely War, Duck House, La Cage Aux Folles, End of the Rainbow, Little Voice), with Adam Lenson as associate director, set and costume design by William Dudley, lighting design by Ben Ormerod, sound design byGareth Owen and choreography by Nathan M Wright. The production will run from 8 May to 8 June with press night on Tuesday 20 May. Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be is produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East, Elliot Davis, Paul Tyrer & Jamie Clark for The Booking Office, and Ros Povey Productions with casting by David Grindrod Associates.

This famous show was initially developed in 1959 by Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop Company atTheatre Royal Stratford East, before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre where it ran for 886 performances and won an Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. The show launched the career of Barbara Windsor and provided the name for a popular hit song by Max Bygraves.

Kerry Michael, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East, said: "It's great to have Terry Johnson back with us after the wonderful success of Oh What A Lovely War. He has pulled together a superb pool of talent and we look forward to celebrating Joan Littlewood's 100th birthday year, with the revival of this populist classic."

Set at the end of the 1950s, preceding the birth of rock and roll and the Beatles, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be is a witty and warm-hearted musical set within an East End underworld of gamblers, spivs, prostitutes and Teddy boys. Written by ex-con Frank Norman, the show tells the tale of Fred, a loveable rogue, who comes out of prison to find he is not quite the king of the manor he once was.

Mark Arden's stage credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing both for the British Shakespeare Company, An Inspector Calls at the Garrick Theatre, The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Aladdin at Winter Gardens, Margate, Kiss Of The Spiderwoman at Sevenoaks Playhouse, The Long, The Short And The Tall at the Albery Theatre, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead at the Piccadilly Theatre and We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. Mark's screen credits include Teenage Kicks, New Tricks,EastEnders, Saxondale, Ultimate Force and Heartbeat.

Ryan Molloy is renowned for his stage role as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, a role he reprised in 2008 at the Prince Edward Theatre. His other stage credits include Godspell on UK Tour, Eurobeat at Pleasance Grand Theatre, Edinburgh, On The Town for the English National Opera, Tonight's The Night on UK Tour, Jerry Springer The Operaat the Cambridge Theatre, The Merchant Of Venice and Betrayal both at the Workhouse Theatre and Macbeth at the Embassy Theatre. Ryan's screen credits include The Filleting Machine, £24 To Tulse Hill and Gravity Smells Funny.

Stefan Booth is best known for TV roles including Greg in EastEnders, Jamie Nash in Hollyoaks, and Sergeant Marc Rollins in The Bill and his other screen credits include Breakwater, William & Mary, The Silence, The Royal,Sugar Rush, Casanova's Last Stand, Pursuit and Back In Business. Stefan also took part in ITV1's Dancing On Ice, making it through to the final and coming second overall. Stefan's stage credits include Chicago on UK and European Tour, Raindogs at Trafalgar Studio, Betwixt at the Ambassadors Theatre and Summer Holiday on UK Tour.

Christopher Ryan's stage credits include Cinderella at the Theatre Royal Norwich, London Assurance at the Watermill Theatre, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, His Girl Friday, La Grande Magia and On The Ledge all for the National Theatre, Waiting For Godot at the Queens Theatre, Valued Friends at Hampstead Theatre,Kiss Me Kate at the Savoy Theatre, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Two Gentlemen Of Verona both at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Can't Pay Won't Pay at the Criterion Theatre and Bleak House at the Royal Court. Christopher's Screen credits include The Young Ones, Only Fools And Horses, Woody, It's Kevin, Absolutely Fabulous, Dr Who and My Family.

Vivian Carter's stage credits include The Light Princess at the National Theatre, Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre, Evita at the Alelphi Theatre, Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre, The Tailor Made Man at the Arts Theatre, Soho Cinders at the Soho Theatre, Radio Times at the Watermill Theatre and UK Tour, Oklahoma at Kilworth House, Eurobeat at Pleasance Grand, We WIll Rock You in Australia and Tokyo.

Stevie Hutchinson's stage credits include Ghost the Musical on UK Tour, Oliver! on UK Tour, Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre, High School Musical at the Hammersmith Apollo andGood Thing Going at Cadogan Hall.

John Olohan's stage credits include Rough for Theatre I & II at the Beckett Festival, Dancing at Lughnasa at the Abbey Theatre, Gaiety Theatre and the National Theatre, The Playboy of the Western World, The House and Drama at Inish all at The Abbey Theatre, Sharon's Grave at the Gate Theatre, The Chastitute on National Tour, Hysteria at the Project Arts Centre, The Silver Tassie on Irish & UK Tour, Famine on Irish & UK Tour and Big Maggie on Galway & Irish Tour. John's screen credits include Glenroe, Fair City, Making The Cut, Showbands II, Trouble In Paradise,Ballykissangel, The Ambassador and Amongst Women, Father Ted, The Tudors, Sweeney Todd and Bobbie's Girl.

Gary Watson's stage credits include A Chorus Line at the London Palladium, Finding Neverland at the Curve, Leicester, Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre and RSC, Mamma Mia! on International Tour, Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre, Cats on UK Tour, Evita at the Adelphi Theatre and Saturday Night Fever at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Gary's screen credits include Cinderella for Walt Disney Productions, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Tubby and Enid, Olympic Torch Concert, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, The Royal Variety Performance and Greasemania.

Joanna Woodward's stage credits include Merrily We Roll Along at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Harold Pinter Theatre, Lost Boy at the Finborough Theatre and Charing Cross Theatre, Little Shop of Horrors at the Kilworth House Theatre, Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots at the Newbury Corn Exchange, Pages: Promised Land at the Union Theatre, and Medea and The Adventures of Jason and the Argonauts at the Scoop Ampitheatre.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be will run from Thursday 8 May - Sunday 8 June 2014. PerformancesTuesday - Sunday at 7.30pm (excl. Sun 11 May), Weds Mats: 21 May, 28 May, 4 June at 2.00pm, Saturday &Sunday Mats at 3.00pm.

Tickets start from £7 to £38, with concessions available on all performances. Group discount available: 10 for 9 (full price seats only). To book tickets call the Box Office on 020 8534 0310, visit www.stratfordeast.com or book in person at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES: Audio: 23 May, Signed: 28 May, Captioned: 30 May

Please note, this production is suitable for ages 13+.

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