Matilda, which is currently in its sixth year in the West End and booking until 28 May 2018, has announced a new West End cast today. The multi award-winning show will also be embarking on a UK and Ireland tour in 2018/19. The new cast will begin on September 12th.
Gina Beck (Miss Honey) is renowned for leading roles in musical theatre. A graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, previous roles have included Glinda in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre & US Tour), Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Magnolia Hawks in Daniel Evan’s production of Show Boat (New London Theatre) and Cosette in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) among many, many others.
Marianne Benedict (Mrs Wormwood) has most recently appeared as Grizabella in Cats (UK Tour). Her other credits include Women On A Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Chicago (Oldham Coliseum), The Girl Dusty (Duchess Theatre), Crazy for You (Lincoln Theatre Royal and UK Tour), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Basingstoke Haymarket and UK Tour), The Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Stoke New Vic & Oldham Coliseum), Loveshack (UK Tour), The Sunshine Boys (Oldham Coliseum), Debbie Does Dallas (Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford) and The Country Wife (Watford Palace Theatre). Having studied at the Arts Educational School, she has also appeared in Eastenders.
Tom Edden (Mr Wormwood) is known for his work across stage, television and film. His theatre work includes Amadeus (National Theatre), One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre, Adelphi Theatre, UK Tour & Music Box Theatre, Broadway) for which he received Tony and Critic’s Circle nominations and won The Drama Desk Award for his role as Alfie, and Oliver! (Sheffield Crucible) for which he was nominated for a UK Theatre Award for his role as Fagin. Other notable credits include The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse), Doctor Faustus (Duke of York’s Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre), Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) and Measure for Measure (Young Vic).
David Shannon (Miss Trunchbull) is known for playing iconic stage roles in the West End and beyond. His extensive stage credits include The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Chris in Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane & UK Tour) and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre). Other credits include, The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Threepenny Opera and Sweeney Todd (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Martin Guerre (Prince Edward Theatre), Cats (New London Theatre), Whistle Down the Wind (Aldwych Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (N.C.H Dublin) and Notre Dame de Paris (Dominion Theatre).
The full adult cast will include The full adult cast includes Keisha Amponsa Banson, Richard Astbury, David Birch, Maria Graciano, Karina Hind, Peter Houston, Katie Lee, Vicki Lee Taylor, Kris Manuel, Bryan Mottram, Tom Muggeridge, Emma Robotham-Hunt, Simon Shorten, Biancha Szynal, Callum Train and Robert Tregoning. The new children’s cast will be announced in due course.
Emma Betty is 28 and a nurse in Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Emma has the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Soundtrack (On CD!) to blame for her love for Musical Theatre, which she found in her parents living room pretty much as soon as she was old enough to know what it was. She began combining her love for Theatre, the Internet and Writing while she was still at school, through various blogs and on social media. Having moved to London in 2013, she launched Upper Circle 4 years later. A couple of years on, she is delighted to have a small team and is so grateful to those helping Upper Circle to grow every day!
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