USHERS: THE FRONT OF HOUSE MUSICAL, to Premiere at Hope Theatre, Dec. 3

Ushers: The Front of House Musical, an exciting new original British musical, will Premiere at the Hope Theatrefrom Tuesday 3 December (press night Friday 6 December) it was announced today.

USHERS: The Front of House Musical is a bold new musical which shines a spotlight on arguably the stagiest people in Theatreland, and shows that it's often off stage where the real drama happens! Join four programme-wielding ushers as they embark on just another shift working Front of House at a West End theatre. With a preview performance of a new jukebox musical imminent, a three-year workplace romance on the rocks, an untrained newbie on her first shift and an amorous manager under pressure to cut costs, what could possibly go wrong? With big, bold company numbers, Fosse-like ice-cream tray choreography and a script with heart, soul and an ice-bucket full of laughs, USHERS promises to be a unique theatrical experience this festive season, telling the hilarious, ridiculous and moving stories of the ice-cream sellers who dare to dream.

USHERS: The Front of House Musical features a cast of established and emerging musical theatre talent, all of whom have worked as ushers at some stage in their careers:

Liam Ross-Mills' recent credits include Lucas in the European Premiere of Bare: The Rock Musical at the Union Theatre, Aladdin at the Wyvern Theatre, Prince in Snow White at Leicester Square Theatre and The Baker's Wife at the Union Theatre.

Will Jennings has appeared as Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Broadway Theatre and Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Abigail Carter-Simpson is a recent graduate of the Guildford School of Acting. Her credits whilst training includeFootloose at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, The Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperon, Mrs Spencer in Merrily We Roll Along and Charity in Sweet Charity.

Chloë Brooks' recent credits include Teacher/Katy Perry and understudy Killer Queen in the 10th Anniversary International Arena Tour of We Will Rock You, Kate/Chutney and understudy Margot in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, LES MISERABLES at the Queen's Theatre, the LES MISERABLES 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 and Miss Lynch in Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre. One of Chloë's early roles was as an usher at Weymouth Pavilion. She sat through 72 performances of Peter Pan one Christmas and ate an awful lot of ice cream to compensate.

Ralph Bogard's theatre credits include Jack De'ath in Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens at Leicester Square Theatre, Christopher Lyon in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Arts Theatre, Zebulun in the UK Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Fat Sam in Future Cinema's Bugsy Malone in London and at the Wilderness Festival 2012.

Ross McNeil's recent credits include On a Clear Day You Can See Forever at the Union Theatre, Billy at the Union Theatre, Tommy at the Prince Edward Theatre and Christmas in New York at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

USHERS: The Front of House Musical has a book by James Rottger, music by Yiannis Koutsakos and lyrics byJames Oban and Yiannis Koutsakos, with additional lyrics by James Rottger and Maia Henry. It is directed byMax Reynolds with musical direction by Michael Riley and choreography by Russell Smith. It is produced byJames Oban for Kouban Productions Ltd and co-produced by Emily Brazee. Casting is by Benjamin Newsome.

The Hope Theatre is a brand new 50 seat theatre above the world famous Hope and Anchor Pub on Upper Street in Islington. The Hope Theatre is London's newest and only theatre committed exclusively to new writing. The venue was launched in November 2013 by Artistic Director Adam Spreadbury-Maher and is curated by the team at the King's Head Theatre. The Hope Theatre will host World Premiere work across new writing for theatre, musical theatre and opera, and will explore different ways to work on the London Fringe in a sustainable and ethical way. Although the Hope Theatre receives no public subsidy, it opens with an in-house agreement with Equity, the UK's largest performers union, already in place, and everyone who works there will be paid a legal wage. It is hoped that exciting new companies, new performers, new writing and new producing models will be nurtured and developed at this experimental new theatre.

To listen to an early concept recording of three of the show's numbers visit: https://soundcloud.com/ushersmusical

Facebook: UshersMusical

Twitter: @UshersMusical #IceCreamSeller

Box Office: 0207 478 0160 | www.TheHopeTheatre.com (no booking fee)

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