MAMMA MIA!

Posted on 5 February 2007

NEW LONDON CAST ANNOUNCED

The new London cast for the global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! at the Prince of Wales

Theatre will start performances on Monday 5 March. The cast will be headed by Linzi Hateley as ‘Donna Sheridan’, Joanna Monro as ‘Rosie’, Jane Gurnett as ‘Tanya’, with Iain Fletcher as ‘Sam Carmichael’, Steven Finch as ‘Harry Bright’, Paul Hawkyard as ‘Bill Austin’, Hannah Robertson as ‘Sophie Sheridan’, Paul Shelford as ‘Sky’, Lucy Miller as ‘Ali’, Tanya Robb as ‘Lisa’, Ben Heathcote as ‘Pepper’ and Kieran Jae as ‘Eddie’. At certain performances the role of ‘Donna Sheridan’ will be played by Lucy Harris.

Olivier Award nominee Linzi Hateley has starred in many West End musicals including “Mary Poppins”, “Chicago”, “Grease”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Les Misérables”. Jane Gurnett, whose theatre credits include several seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, is known for her television work including “Crossroads”, “Dangerfield”, “Doctors” and “The Bill”. Steven Finch, who was in Stephen Daldry’s production of “An Inspector Calls” and who has played seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, has television credits including playing ‘Jonathan Gordon-Davies’ in “Brookside” for three years, “Crown Prosecutor”, “The Bill”, “Holby City” and “Doctors”. Both Hannah Robertson and Paul Shelford are making their West End debuts in MAMMA MIA!. Lucy Miller has appeared in the West End musicals “Fame” and “Chicago”. Tanya Robb has appeared in the West End musicals “Mary Poppins”, “Tonight’s the Night”, “We Will Rock You” and “Peggy Sue Got Married”. Kieran Jae, who has been seen on television in both “Teachers” and “The Four Parts of Johnny Vegas”, has also appeared in the West End production of “The Witches of Eastwick”. Current cast members Joanna Monro, Iain Fletcher, Paul Hawkyard and Ben Heathcote will continue in the show.

MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, celebrates its 8th London birthday in April this year.

MAMMA MIA! continues to break box office records at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The musical had the highest ever weekly gross taken in the history of the Prince of Wales Theatre, for the week ending 16 April last year, and also had the highest ever performance take at the theatre, at the evening performance on Friday 5 May 2006 (which has subsequently been repeated at three further performances).

Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, writer Catherine Johnson’s enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago…

With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken and musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch.

From West End smash to global phenomenon, MAMMA MIA! has already been seen by more than 30 million people in over 140 cities across North America, Australia, Europe and Asia. It has already grossed over $2 billion at the box office worldwide. The original London production opened in 1999 and has been seen by over 4 million people at over 3,200 performances, grossing over £155 million at the UK Box Office.