The U.K. and Ireland tour of the Chichester Festival Theatre production of the classic Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical South Pacific opens July 16 at the Manchester Opera House followed by a July 27-August 28 engagement at London's Sadler's Wells.
A 10-week tour will follow, playing Dublin, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Canterbury.
Directed by Tony nominee Daniel Evans, the company is led by Julian Ovenden (Downton Abbey, Merrily We Roll Along) as Emile de Becque, Gina Beck (Matilda, Wicked) as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Rob Houchen (Les Misérables, City of Angels) as Lieutenant Joseph Cable, Joanna Ampil (Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Bloody Mary, and Sera Maehara (Warrior Queens, Kid That Never Fell) as Liat. All five starred in the summer 2021 Chichester production.
These artists are joined by Douggie McMeekin as Luther Billis, David Birrell as Captain George Brackett, Stephen John Davis as Commander William Harbison, Antoine Murray-Straughan as Stewpot, Charlie Waddell as Professor, and Olly Christopher as Sergeant Johnson.
The cast is completed by Iroy Abesamis, Feline Andersson, Charlotte Coggin, Annabel Edwards, Leslie Garcia Bowman, Sergio Giacomelli, Ellie Jane Grant, Josh Kiernan, Matthew Maddison, Rachel Jayne Picar, Kate Playdon, George Renshaw, Pierce Rogan, Charlotte Scott, Trezel Sergeant, Nikhil Singh Rai, James Wilkinson-Jones, and Eleanor Wainwright.
South Pacific has music by Rodgers, lyrics by Hammerstein II, and a book by Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.
The production also has set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, choreography and movement direction from Ann Yee, musical supervision by Nigel Lilley, musical direction by Cat Beveridge, new orchestrations by David Cullen with original Broadway orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Paul Groothuis, video design by Gillian Tan, additional arrangements and Happy Talk orchestration by Theo Jamieson, casting by Charlotte Sutton, and additional children’s casting by Verity Naughton.
South Pacific is produced by Jamie Wilson, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, and Gavin Kalin.
Visit SouthPacificShow.com.
