Michael Ball Rebecca LaChance
MACK & MABEL
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman Book by Michael Stewart
Book revised by Francine Pascal
Director: Jonathan Church
13 July – 5 September
Festival Theatre, Chichester
The full cast has been confirmed for Chichester’s highly anticipated forthcoming summer musical, Mack & Mabel, which will be led by Michael Ball and Rebecca LaChance in the title roles. Following the Chichester run, this major new production will tour across the UK and Ireland.
Based on the true romance between Hollywood legends Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, this musical comedy received eight Tony Award nominations when it opened on Broadway in 1974. The much-loved score includes Time Heals Everything, I Won’t Send Roses and Tap Your Troubles Away.
Michael Ball plays Mack Sennett. Recent credits include the BBC television drama That Day We Sang, which reunited him with Sweeney Todd co-star Imelda Staunton. Theatre credits include the title role in Sweeney Todd (Chichester’s Festival 2011 and West End), Hairspray, Les Misérables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Passion, Aspects of Love, The Woman in White and The Phantom of the Opera. Ball co-produced Chichester Festival 2010’s West End transfer of Love Story. He also has a successful recording and broadcasting career, and completed a UK concert tour in Spring 2015.
Rebecca LaChance’s credits include her recent Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical as a featured ensemble member while understudying Jessie Mueller in the title role. Other credits include Johnny Baseball directed by Gordon Greenberg, the director of Chichester’s acclaimed production of Guys and Dolls during Festival 2014, Central Avenue Breakdown and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Other casting includes Anna-Jane Casey whose credits include The Comedy of Errors (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Sunday in the Park with George (Menier Chocolate Factory) as Lottie, Jack Edwards whose credits include West End productions of Betty Blue Eyes and Sweet Charity as Fatty, Alex Giannini whose Chichester credits include The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End) and Oklahoma! as well as Oh! What A Lovely War (Theatre Royal Stratford East and UK tour) as Mr Baumann, Gunnar Cauthery whose credits include The House of Special Purpose at Chichester and Little Shop of Horrors as Frank, Mark Inscoe whose credits include West End productions of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Sunset Boulevard as William Desmond Taylor and Timothy Quinlan whose credits include US productions of Jersey Boys and The Full Monty as Mr Kessel.
The company also includes Ashley Andrews, Adam Denman, Nicole Deon, Michelle Francis, Emily Langham,Jenny Legg, Rebecca Louis, Joshua Lovell, Grace McKee, Joseph Prouse, Rohan Richards, Emily Shaw, Sam Stones, Andrew Waldron, Zara Warren and Libby Watts
The production is directed by Jonathan Church, Chichester’s Artistic Director. His Chichester credits include Festival 2014’s Taken at Midnight (also West End) which garnered a 2015 Best Actress Olivier Award for Penelope Wilton, as well as two other nominations. Other credits include Singin’ in the Rain (also West End, UK and international tour), Amadeusand The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End).
Design is by Robert Jones whose Chichester credits include Festival 2015’s Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, as well asTaken At Midnight (also West End), Kiss Me, Kate (also Old Vic) and Calendar Girls (also UK tour, Australia and Canada). Other credits include City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse) and West End productions of A Chorus of Disapproval and Much Ado About Nothing.
Choreography is by Stephen Mear, Chichester’s Associate Choreographer. Chichester credits include Festival 2014’sGypsy (currently in the West End) and Amadeus, as well as The Pajama Game (also West End) and Kiss Me, Kate (also The Old Vic). Other credits include City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), West End productions of Shoes, Mary Poppins,Hello, Dolly!, Crazy for You and Anything Goes (National Theatre and West End).
Musical Direction is by Robert Scott whose Chichester credits include Singin’ in the Rain (and West End, UK and international tours), Carousel, Cabaret and Funny Girl. Other credits include the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (also Broadway and UK tour).
Lighting Design is by Howard Harrison who recently won a 2015 Olivier Award for his work on City of Angels. His Chichester credits include Festival 2015’s A Damsel in Distress, as well as The Pajama Game (also West End), Love Story (also West End) and Macbeth (also West End and New York) for which he also won an Olivier Award.
Sound Design is by Paul Groothuis, Chichester’s Associate Sound Designer. Chichester credits include Festival 2015’sA Damsel in Distress, as well as Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, The Pajama Game, Private Lives, Kiss Me, Kate, andRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, all of which transferred to the West End.
Video Design is by Jon Driscoll whose credits include the Broadway production of Finding Neverland, the recent West End revival of Cats, Kate Bush’s 2014 concerts, Carmen (Sante Fe Opera) and 3 Winters (National Theatre)
Physical theatre and comedy is by Spymonkey whose credits include Oedipussy, Moby Dick, Cooped, Stiff andZumanity for Cirque Du Soleil.
Mack & Mabel is sponsored by Conquest Fine Bespoke Furniture, Harwoods Group, Henry Adams and Seaward Properties.
Events
Director Jonathan Church will be in conversation with novelist and CFT biographer Kate Mosse on Monday 20 July at 5.45pm. Tickets free but advance booking essential.
There will be the chance to meet some of the Mack & Mabel company at a post-show discussion hosted by author Simon Brett on Monday 3 August.
Following the performance of Mack & Mabel on Friday 21 August, Michael Ball will talk to Kate Mosse about his musical career, reflecting on his favourite roles and songs from his shows. Tickets £5.
Booking information
Mack & Mabel will be at the Festival Theatre, Chichester from 13 July – 5 September. Tickets from £10, with 16 – 25s tickets at £8.50. Visit cft.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312 for more details. Following the Chichester dates there will be a UK and Ireland tour from 1 October – 6 December, visitmackandmabelmusical.com for further details.
Special Prices for 16 – 25s
An allocation of tickets for 16 – 25 year olds priced at just £8.50 for all performances of Mack & Mabel will go on sale on 12 June. These may be booked on 01243 781312, online at cft.org.uk/850 or in person.