CURVE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SCROOGE
Curve has revealed the full cast for its Christmas production of the classic British musical Scrooge, based on Charles Dickens’ much-loved novel A Christmas Carol.
Leading the show as Scrooge is Jasper Britton. Jasper’s critically-acclaimed career has included leading roles at the National Theatre and RSC. He recently appeared in Curve’s production of What the Butler Saw.
Karen Mann, whose extensive theatre credits include leading roles in Fiddler on the Roof and Curve’s productions of The Witches and Sister Act, will play the role of Scrooge’s ghostly business partner Marley.
Rising talents Sharan Phull and Nathanael Landskroner will also return to Curve for the Christmas production, having both started their professional careers on the theatre’s stage.
Completing the company this Christmas will be Anton Stephans, Ben Redfern, Bree Smith, Chantel Bellew, Danny-Boy Hatchard, Darren Bennett, Hollie Taylor, Joe Maxwell, Lara Denning, Lauren Stroud, Matthew Caputo, Natalie Woods, Nia Jermin, Rachel Stanley, Sean Lopeman, Sophie Caton and Taylor Walker. The production will open on 23 November, with previews from 18 November, and will run until 7 January.
With music and lyrics from renowned British musical theatre composer, lyricist and playwright Leslie Bricusse, the production features Bricusse’s Oscar nominated score and songs from the 1970 film of the same name.
In a joint comment, Curve Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:
“Dickens’ astonishing hymn to humanity and the transformative power of charity over capitalism seems more relevant than ever.
“We are honoured to be working with a first rate company to bring Leslie Bricusse’s brilliant musical adaptation of this timeless story to life. We are thrilled the incomparable Jasper Britton will lead this astonishing company, many returning to Curve having worked with us before.
“Audiences are in for a festive treat like no other, warming hearts and bringing joy.”
Based on Charles Dickens’ much-loved A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is the perfect festive family treat, taking you and Ebenezer Scrooge on a spellbinding journey through Christmas past, present and yet-to-come.
Will the miserable Scrooge cancel Christmas? Bah Humbug! Or can he learn the error of his ways and let a little festive cheer shine in his otherwise dreary world?
Audiences can meet the miserly Ebenezer, the Cratchit family and a whole host of Dickens’ most famous characters in this heart-warming story, with a score including the Oscar-nominated hit Thank You Very Much, I Hate Christmas, Happiness and many more.
Anton Stephans plays The Ghost of Christmas Present. His theatre credits include Moby Dick (Union Theatre); Smokey Joe’s Café (West End, Broadway and UK Tour); Porgy and Bess (Savoy Theatre); Starlight Express (UK Tour); Showboat (Royal Albert Hall) and Hey Mr Producer (Lyceum Theatre). He is also well-known for his time on The X-Factor 2015 series.
Ben Redfern plays Mr Carstairs. His theatre credits include Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace); High Society (UK Tour); Tommy in Concert (Prince Edward Theatre); Cinderella (Ferneham Hall) and Me & My Girl (Kilworth House). His TV and Film Credits include Victoria Wood’s Midlife Christmas.
Bree Smith plays Henrietta Harty. Her theatre credits include Wonderland (UK Tour); Eugenius! (London Palladium) and The Olivier Awards.
Chantel Bellew plays Bisset. Her theatre credits include Top Hat (Kilworth House); 42nd Street (Théâtre du Chatelet, Paris) for Stephen Mear; Loserville (The Union Theatre, London) and Thoroughly Modern Millie 48h Musical (The Adelphi, London).
Danny-Boy Hatchard plays Tom Jenkins. His theatre credits include Eyes Closed, Ears Covered (Bunker Theatre); Oliver Twist (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Beautiful Thing (Arts Theatre London / UK tour) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (ArtsEd). His television credits include EastEnders (BBC).
Darren Bennett plays Mr Fezziwig. His theatre credits include Grease (Curve); The Importance of being Earnest (Curve); Legally Blonde (Curve); The Songbook Of Judy Garland (UK Tour) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre).
Hollie Taylor plays Jocelyn Jollygoode. Her theatre credits include Goodnight Mister Tom (West End and Tour); Matilda (RSC); Betty Blue Eyes (Novello Theatre); Fame (Jendagi); Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and High School Musical (Hammersmith Apollo).
Jasper Britton plays Scrooge. His theatre credits include What The Butler Saw (Curve); The Libertine (Theatre Royal Bath, Theatre Royal Haymarket); Richard II, The
Jew of Malta and Henry IV Part 1 and II (The RSC, Stratford, The Barbican and
New York); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Sheffield Crucible); The Last Cigarette (Chichester Festival Theatre/West End).
Joe Maxwell plays Bob Cratchit. His theatre credits include Jersey Boys (West End and UK tour); Jesus Christ Superstar (UK Tour); Evita (West End and UK tour); Betty Blue Eyes (UK Tour); Oliver! (UK Tour); The Hired Man (Landor Theatre) and The Pirates Of Penzance (Kilworth House).
Karen Mann plays Marley. Her theatre credits include Sister Act (Curve); The Witches (UK Tour); Fiddler on the Roof (UK Tour); Master Class (English Theatre Frankfurt) and the Susan Boyle Story I Dreamed a Dream (UK Tour).
Lara Denning plays Mrs Cratchit. Her theatre credits include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ (Menier Chocolate Factory); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (West End); Matilda (West End); Dick Whittington (Bristol Hippodrome) and The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour).
Lauren Stroud plays Isabel. Her theatre credits include Top Hat (Kilworth House); Strictly Ballroom (Toronto and the West Yorkshire Playhouse); Hairspray (UK Tour); Exposure (St James) and Feelin’ in the Mood (Workshop).
Matthew Caputo plays Mr Pringle and Dance Captain. His theatre credits include On The Town (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); The Life (Southwark Playhouse); Mary Poppins (UK Tour); Top Hat (UK Tour); Water Babies (Curve, Leicester) and Cats (UK and European Tour).
Natalie Woods plays Miss Dibler. Her theatre credits include Grease (Curve & Middle East Tour); Legally Blonde (Curve/South Korea); Wind in the Willows (The London Palladium); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Kilworth House); Gypsy (Savoy Theatre, West End & Chichester Festival Theatre) and Amadeus (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Nathanael Landskroner plays Nephew Harry, Young Scrooge and Ensemble. His theatre credits include Legally Blonde (Monaco); Grease (Curve and Dubai); Spring Awakening (National Youth Music Theatre); Brass (National Youth Music Theatre) and West Side Story (National Youth Music Theatre).
Nia Jermin plays Bess and Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Top Hat (Kilworth House Theatre); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West Yorkshire Playhouse & UK tour) and The Producers (UK tour). Her television and film credits include Love Actually (Working Title Films); Doc Martin (Buffalo Productions) and Casualty (BBC).
Rachel Stanley plays Mrs Fezziwig and Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Gangsta Granny Live (UK Tour); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Kilworth House); Legally Blonde (Curve); Judy Garland SongBook (UK Tour); White Christmas (Dominion 2014 & seasons in Edinburgh, Manchester, Plymouth & Southampton) and Annie (New Zealand Tour & UK Tour).
Sean Lopeman plays Dick Wilkins and Ensemble. His theatre credits include Mary Poppins (International Tour); Kiss me Kate (Théâtre du Chatelet); West Side Story (Salzburg Festival) and Luck of the Draw (RADA Festival).
Sharan Phull plays the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet (National Theatre Learning); The Importance of Being Earnest (Curve) and Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical (Phoenix Theatre).
Sophie Caton plays Mrs Dibler and Ensemble. Her theatre credits include Mary Poppins (International Tour 2015-17); Claus (Landor Theatre, London); Romeo & Juliet (Greenwich Theatre, London); Oliver! (UK & Ireland Tour); The Bugle Boy (Garrick Theatre, West End & UK Tour) and Into The Woods (Regents Park Open Air Theatre, London).
Taylor Walker plays Topper and Ensemble. His theatre credits include Grease (Curve).
Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, he grew up in North Yorkshire. Nikolai trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield. Since taking up his post in January 2015, Nikolai has directed Joe Orton’s What the Butler Saw (with Theatre Royal Bath); Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s Grease (& for a limited season in Dubai); Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (with Birmingham Rep); the Broadway musical Spring Awakening (with National Youth Music Theatre); Legally Blonde (& at Daegu International Festival, South Korea – Winner Best Musical), Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (& Haymarket Theatre, London & national tour); Roald Dahl’s The Witches, adapted by David Wood (with the Rose Theatre Kingston, Lyric Theatre Hong Kong, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds & on tour); Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire; Shakespeare’s Richard III; Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good; a performance to celebrate the reveal of the tomb of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral and Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing (with Nottingham Playhouse & on tour).
Leslie Bricusse is a writer-composer-lyricist and double Oscar and Grammy award winner who has written more than 40 musicals, films and plays during his career. He was born in London, and educated at University College School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. His numerous theatre credits include Out of the Blue; Lady at the Wheel; The Boy on the Corner; Stop the World – I Want to get Off; Goodbye Mr Chips; Scrooge; Sherlock Holmes; Jekyll and Hyde; Victor/Victoria. He has also written many songs and/or screenplays for films such as Doctor Dolittle; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; Superman; Home Alone I and II; Hook; Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. He has been nominated for ten Oscars, nine Grammys and four Tonys, and has won two Oscars, a Grammy and eight Ivor Novello Awards, the premiere British Music Award.
In 1989 he received the Kennedy Award for consistent excellence in British songwriting, bestowed by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and was inducted into the American Songwriters’ Hall of Fame – only the fourth Englishman to be so honoured — after Noel Coward, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.