FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
MAMMA MIA! INTERNATIONAL TOUR
Full casting has been announced for the sensational feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! which comes to Palace Theatre, Manchester from 3rd – 14th July 2018 as part of its international tour. Shona White (Donna Sheridan), Nicky Swift (Rosie), Helen Anker (Tanya), Tamlyn Henderson (Sam Carmichael), Daniel Crowder(Harry Bright), Matthew Rutherford (Bill Austin), Lucy May Barker (Sophie Sheridan), Phillip Ryan (Sky),Leisha Mollyneaux (Ali), Lottie Henshall (Lisa), Matt Jordan-Pidgeon (Pepper) and Michael Nelson (Eddie) will star in the production. At certain performances the role of Donna Sheridan will be played by Natalie Langston.
Completing the cast are Tom Bainbridge, Devon Braithwaite, Ambra Caserotti, Áine Curran, Martin Dickinson, Tilly Ford, Courtney George, Sarah Harlington, Samuel Hawkins, Luke Jasztal, Matt Kennedy, Stacey Leanne Mills, Hollie Nelson, Matthew Ronchetti, Ellie Rutherford, Jaydon Vijn and Jamie Wilkin.
MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise. To date, it has been seen by more than 60 million people in 50 productions in 16 different languages. In 2008, MAMMA MIA! The Movie became the highest-grossing live action musical film of all time.
From West End to global phenomenon, the London production of MAMMA MIA! has now been seen by more than 10% of the entire UK population. It is one of only five musicals to have run for more than 10 years both on Broadway and in the West End and, in 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People’s Republic of China.
The hugely successful international tour, since premiering in Dublin in September 2004, has visited 85 cities across 38 countries and sold over 5 million tickets.
Shona White plays Donna Sheridan. Training: Royal Academy of Music. Theatre includes: Leda Fox-Cotton in I Capture the Castle (Watford Palace Theatre and Octagon Theatre, Bolton), Woman in The World Goes Around(Stephen Joseph Theatre), Alternate Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! (Novello Theatre, London), Principal Vocalist in Sunny Side Of The Street (Jermyn Street Theatre, London), Florence Vassy in Chess (UK tour and Toronto), standby and played Elphaba in Wicked (Apollo Victoria, London), Betty in Shout (UK tour and Arts Theatre), All the Fun of the Fair with David Essex (Garrick Theatre, London), Usherette/ Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show (UK tour and Playhouse), Lisa and Sophie Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! (Prince Edward Theatre, London), Miss Gordon in Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse) and Eponine and Cosette in Les Misérables (UK tour). Other credits include: Solo cabaret and concert artist appearances at the Pheasantry, Pizza on the Park, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in an Elton John concert, and guest performer on Friday Night Is Music Night (BBC Radio 2). Recordings include: When Midnight Strikes, Zipp! and All the Fun of the Fair cast recordings and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy soundtrack. Shona’s debut album I’ll Bring You a Song was released in 2011. She is also an experienced voiceover artist.
Natalie Langston plays Alternate Donna. Training: Guildford School of Acting. Theatre includes: Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! (Royal Caribbean Productions), Alternate Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA!(International Tour), Alternate Eva Peron in Evita (Pheonix Theatre, London and UK & European Tour), Ernestine in Perchance to Dream (Finborough Theatre, London), Rizzo in Grease (Piccadilly Theatre, London), Dorcus in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (UK Tour and Haymarket Theatre, London), Nancy in Jekyll and Hyde (UK Tour) and Lead Female Vocalist in Spirit of Broadway (China Tour). Television includes: Anita in West Side Story in Howard Goodall’s 20th Century Greats. Rizzo in Grease The School Musical and Backing Singer for Enya appearing on shows such as This Morning and Children In Need.
Nicky Swift plays Rosie. Training: National Youth Music Theatre, Birmingham University and The Royal Academy Of Music where she received The Ian Fleming Musical Theatre Award. Theatre includes: Shirley in Shirley Valentine (30th Anniversary UK tour), Ethel/Coach Dunbar/Betty in Footloose (UK Tour), Madame and understudy Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables (Queens Theatre, London), Cynthia/Aunt Mimi in Lennon (Royal Court, Liverpool), Vera Lynn in Songs For Victory (UK Tour), One Night In Istanbul (Echo Arena, Dublin Gaiety and Belfast Grand Opera House), Jack And The Beanstalk, Mother Goose, Aladdin, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty and Red Riding Hood (Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse), Jellylorum in Cats (Arena Tour), Vi in The Buddy Holly Story (Upstairs At The Gatehouse), Alice In The Walled Garden (Brockwell Park), Twelfth Night, Plaza Suite, The Odd Couple and A Slice of Saturday Night (QE Theatre Company on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth), Elizabeth in Richard Taylors’ Whistle Down The Wind, (Edinburgh Festival, Sadler’s Wells and West Yorkshire Playhouse), Charlie, (Buxton Opera House), Creation and Warchild, (National Youth Music Theatre), Her Benny (Liverpool Empire), David Copperfield (UK Tour), Sixteen Gobs (Kings Head, London), Habeas Corpus and City Of Angels (Royal Academy of Music). Television includes: Hillsborough (ITV), Voices Raised, Blue Peter, Sport Relief and The Olivier Awards (BBC). Radio includes: Loose Ends (BBC Radio 4), New Musicals with Stephen Sondheim (BBC Radio 2). Other credits include: Soloist alongside Dame Judi Dench in An Enchanted Evening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and performances at charity galas at The Palace Theatre, The Royal Albert Hall, the O2 Arena and for HRH Prince Edward at St James’ Palace. Nicky works as a backing and session singer, supporting names such as Tom Jones, Lesley Garrett, Elaine Paige and Cynthia Erivo.
Helen Anker plays Tanya. Training: Royal Ballet School and Doreen Bird College. Theatre includes: Miss Olson in Promises, Promises (Broadway Theatre, New York), Eliza in My Fair Lady (Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis), Guenevere in Camelot (Chanhassen, Minneapolis), The 39 Steps (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), Mrs Mullin in Carousel (Houston Grand Opera), Georgia in Curtains (Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey), Radio Times(Queens Theatre, London) Cats, (New London Theatre, London), Crazy For You (Prince Edward Theatre, London), Oklahoma! (National Theatre and Lyceum Theatre, London), Fame (Cambridge Theatre, London), Hard Times (Theatre Royal, London), Candide in On the Town (English National Opera, London), Contact(Queens Theatre, London), Beautiful and Damned (Lyric Theatre, London), Parade (Donmar Warehouse, London), A Chorus Line, Dames At Sea, Let’s Face The Music and Dance, The Thorn Birds, It’s A Wonderful Lifeand Masterpieces (Regional theatres). Television includes: Holby City, Law and Order, White Collar and The Good Wife. Performed on 4 Tony Awards and at The Oscars. Film includes: Ted 2 and Cinderella.
Tamlyn Henderson plays Sam Carmichael. Training: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Theatre includes: Stephen in The Dark Room (Theatre 503, London), Factory Foreman, cover Javert/Thenardier in Les Miserables (Australia & International Tour), Frank in Ladies in Black (Queensland Theatre, Brisbane), Herr Zeller/ cover Captain in The Sound of Music (Australia Tour), Wild Bill Hickok in Calamity Jane (Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney), Marvin in Falsettos (Eternity Playhouse, Sydney), Bobby/ cover Cliff in Cabaret (IMG/Fran & Barry Weissler), cover Galileo/ Britney and Khashoggi in We Will Rock You (Japan Tour), Weasel in Wind in the Willows (Kew Gardens), How to Act Around Cops (Darlingurst Theatre Co, Australia), The Importance of Being Earnest (Seymour Centre, Sydney), The Gruffalo (Australia & UK Tour) and Circumspecto (Sydney Opera House). Film and Television includes: Careless Love, Cedar Boys, Redfern Now, All Saints and the self-produced web series ‘As Actors’-Manila. Other credits include: Tamlyn spent much of the mid to late ‘noughties’ creating and performing as one half of comedy duo Allsopp & Henderson.
Daniel Crowder plays Harry Bright. Training: Rose Bruford College. Theatre includes: Neville’s Island (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), The Mousetrap (St Martin’s Theatre, London), The Potsdam Quartet (Jermyn St Theatre, London), Way Upstream (Salisbury Playhouse), Corrie! (UK Tour & New Zealand), The Duchess of Malfi (Theatre Royal, Northampton), Arthur and George (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Lost in the Stars(Queen Elizabeth Hall, London), High Society (National Tour), The Graduate, Twelfth Night, The Madness of George III, Stig of the Dump and Seeds Under Stones (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Noel Coward Double Bill(Liverpool Playhouse), The Safari Party (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and Hampstead Theatre), The Good Samaritan (Hampstead Theatre), Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), That Woman (Royal Court) and The Red Balloon(National Theatre). Television includes: Urban Myths: Pubic Enemy (Sky Arts), The Job Lot, Ladies of Letters(ITV), Casualty, EastEnders, Doctors, Holby City (BBC), Midsomer Murders (Bentley Productions), Los Dos Bros(Talkback), Randell and Hopkirk Deceased (Working Title), Coronation Street (Granada) and The Bill (Thames). Film includes: Gulliver’s Travels (Fox Searchlight), The Avengers (Warner Bros.) and Reinventing Eddie (BBG Productions). Radio includes: How to have a Perfect Marriage (Radio 4), Jarvis Cocker in My Lighthouse (Radio 2), Lost in the Stars (Radio 3) and The Red Balloon (Radio 4).
Matthew Rutherford plays Bill Austin. Training: Chester University. Theatre includes: Joe B in The Buddy Holly Story (Strand Theatre, London), Sweeney Todd (Tour), Merrily We Roll Along (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), The Inland Sea (Oxford Stage Company), Stone Cold Murder (Vienna English Theatre), Carmen (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Marlene (New Vic Theatre), The Hired Man (The Curve, Leicester), James And The Giant Peach (The Mercury, Colchester), Love Beyond (Wembley Arena) and Allotments (Citizens Theatre, Glasgow). Film includes: Kingdom of Heaven, Caregiver, Lion of Judah, Burning Calcutta, Hate Story IV and The Silent Fall. Television includes: Commander and PREMature.
Lucy May Barker plays Sophie Sheridan. Theatre includes: Sophie in MAMMA MIA! (UK Tour), Ilse in Spring Awakening (Lyric Hammersmith and Novello Theatre, London), Marina in Earthquakes in London and Millie in Really Old Like Forty Five (National Theatre), Mercy Lewis in The Crucible (Regent’s Park Open Air), Clarissa in The Reluctant Debutant (UK tour), Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Chichester Festival Theatre and Adelphi Theatre, London), Cherry Buck in Ben Travers’ Thark, as part of the inaugural season at the Park Theatre, Baby Belgrave in Ace of Clubs (Union Theatre), Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (UK tour) and Betty in Pine (Hampstead Theatre). Film includes: Nursemaid in The Woman in Black. Television includes: George in The Culshaw & Stephenson Impressions Show, Belinda De Lacey in Scoop! and Chris in Doctors. Other credits include: Lucy can also be heard in the radio dramas Lost in Mexico, The Russian Gambler (BBC Radio 4) and Charlotte Pollard (Big Finish).
Phillip Ryan plays Sky. Theatre includes: Sky in MAMMA MIA! (UK Tour), Trainspotting (Edinburgh Festival), Defect for Perfect Pitch and a workshop of Head’s Up for No Fun Productions.
Leisha Mollyneaux plays Ali. Training: Arts Educational Schools and The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology. Theatre includes: Young Stella in Follies (National Theatre), Onstage Swing in Carousel (English National Opera), Ensemble/Assistant Dance Captain in Love Never Dies (Hamburg, Germany) and Ensemble in Jack and the Beanstalk (The Courtyard Hereford). Other credits include: Rags The Musical in Concert (Lyric Theatre), Dancer for What’sOnStage Awards 2014 (Prince of Wales Theatre), Soloist in Friday Night is Music Night (BBC Radio 2), The Olivier Awards 2013 & 2014 (Royal Opera House) and Kerry Ellis in Concert (London Palladium).
Lottie Henshall plays Lisa. Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre includes: Our House (UK Tour) and The Braille Legacy (Charing Cross Theatre) and backing singer for Page by Paige (Royal Albert Hall). Television Includes: Doctors (BBC).
Matt Jordan-Pidgeon plays Pepper. Training: Wilkes Academy. Theatre includes: Ensemble / 1st cover Pepper in MAMMA MIA! (Novello Theatre, London) and Ensemble in Cinderella and Peter Pan (First Family Entertainment). Other credits include: Dancer in Lucozade and Ribena flash mob, Iceland corporate event (ICC Birmingham), The Arc of Nirvana (Dancers Inc), Dancer Soccer Aid and Mercedes Benz Show. Matt is four times world tap dance champion.
Michael Nelson plays Eddie. Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre includes: Our House (UK Tour), An Evening Of Dirty Dancing (UK Tour), The Rink (Workshop), Get Em’ Off (Above The Stag), Alice in Wonderland (St Paul’s Church), Jack And The Beanstalk (Glasgow SEC Hydro), 7Airs (Ledbury Poetry Festival), Potters Theatre Company (Norfolk), Aida Cruises and Aladdin (The Courtyard, Hereford). Television includes:Adidas Commercial for the World Cup and Kenickie in Grease The School Musical (Sky 1).
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 and Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch.
The MAMMA MIA! International Tour is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal and NGM.