Peter Polycarpou Joins Cast Of MAN OF LA MANCHA

It was announced today (Friday 15 March 2019) that renowned stage, film and TV performer Peter Polycarpou will play Don Quixote's squire, Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum; the first West End production of this multi-Tony award-winning Broadway musical for 50 years.

Polycarpou joins the already announced cast of Kelsey Grammer, Danielle De Niese, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Cassidy Janson in the acclaimed musical which opens at the London Coliseum on 26 April 2019 for a limited six week season and will be performed with the ENO orchestra.

Peter is a leading artist in musical theatre, having appeared in some of this country's most enduring West End Musicals, in plays, on film and television. His work in musicals includes Les Miserables (on stage and in the film version with Madonna), Fagin in Olivier! and Beadle Bamford in Jonathan Kent's triple Olivier winning production of Steven Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at The Adelphi Theatre. On TV he is well known for playing Chris Theodopoulopoudos in five series of the popular BBC1 comedy, Birds of a Feather.

Featuring the iconic song 'Dream the Impossible Dream', Man of La Mancha is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's masterpiece Don Quixote. It is produced by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade, the same team who brought to the Coliseum the smash hit productions of Sweeney Todd, Sunset Boulevard, Carousel and Chess.

Emmy award winning and Tony nominated actor Kelsey Grammer, best known for playing Dr Frasier Crane in NBC's hit series Cheers and Frasier will make his West End debut playing Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote and the international opera star and soprano Danielle De Niese will share the role of Aldonza and Dulcinea with Cassidy Jonson. Danielle will play the roles in 33 performances and Cassidy in 17.

Nicholas Lyndhurst, best known for his TV work which includes the classic series Only Fools and Horses as well as Goodnight Sweetheart and New Tricks will play the Innkeeper and Governor. His previous stage credits include the Grade/Linnit production of Carousel at The Coliseum and Trevor Nunn's The Tempest at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Opera Soprano Danielle De Niese, who was described by the New York Times magazine as 'opera's coolest soprano' has performed to audiences world-wide, from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden as well as performing on stage with LL Cool J.

Cassidy Janson played the lead role in the recent production of Chess at the London Coliseum and the lead in the West End production of Beautiful: The Carole King Story. Cassidy is one third of Leading Ladies, a group formed in 2017 with fellow musical stars, Beverly Knight and Amber Riley.

Completing the cast of Man of La Mancha are: Eugene McCoy (Dr Carrasco/The Duke), Lucy St Louis (Antonia), Natasha Leaver (Fermina), Debra Michaels (Maria), Julie Jupp (Housekeeper), Minal Patel (Padre), Emanuel Alba (Barber), Rakesh Boury (Muleteer), Stephen John Davies (Muleteer), Paul F Monaghan (Muleteer), Ryan Pidgen (Muleteer), David Seadon-Young (Muleteer/Pedro), Samuel Thomas (Muleteer), Teddy Wills (Muleteer), Femi Akinfolarin (Muleteer), Tim Hodges (Ensemble), Luke Jackson (Ensemble), Dominic Owen (Ensemble), Joseph Poulson (Ensemble), Jocelyn Prah (Ensemble), Anna Woodside (Ensemble), Tash Holway (Swing), Helen Walsh (Swing), Luke McCall (Swing) and Alex Pinder (Swing).

Man of La Mancha will be directed by Lonny Price, who directed Linnit and Grade's acclaimed London production of Sunset Boulevard at the Coliseum starring Glenn Close, as well as its hugely-successful subsequent Broadway transfer.

In a 16th century dungeon Cervantes and his man servant await trial from the Spanish Inquisition. In his possession he has a trunk carrying an unfinished novel, Don Quixote. As prisoners attempt to steal his possessions, Cervantes embarks on acting out his novel as his defence, transforming himself into Alonso Quijano.

Quijano, deluded, believes he is a knight errant, renames himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, and sets off on a fantastical quest with his man servant Sancho Panza.

Chivalry abounds in this classic tale of knighthood, love, loyalty and adventure.

The music in Man of La Mancha is by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion and book by Dale Wasserman.

'The impossible Dream' has become an internatonally-renowned song, and has been performed by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, Luther Vandross and The Temptations, amongst others.

Joining Lonny Price on the creative team is conductor David White, set designer James Noone, lighting designer Rick Fisher, sound designer Mick Potter and casting director David Grindrod CDG.