Fisherman's Friends: The Musical reveal full cast 🐟

The true story of the world's most unlikely buoy band

Author: Rhys FreemanPublished 28th Jun 2022
Last updated 26th Jul 2022

When a group of Cornish fishermen came together to sing some songs they'd been singing their whole lives they were hoping to raise a few quid for charity. What they didn't expect was to end up on Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid stage.

Following a successful season at the Hall for Cornwall, Fisherman's Friends: The Musical will head on a UK & Ireland tour in 2022 and 2023 plus a stop in Toronto over the festive period. The tour will open on 1st September 2022 at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Producers have now revealed full casting for the touring production.

Just announced is Jason Langley (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as Danny, Dan Buckley (Eugenius!) as Rowan, Dakota Starr (The Girls) as Ben, Pete Gallagher (Only Fools And Horses the Musical) as Wiggie, Hadrian Delacey (Miss Saigon) as Archie, Fia Houston-Hamilton (Mamma Mia!) as Leah, Hazel Monaghan (The Elves and the Shoemaker) as Sally, John O’Mahony (As You Like It) as Eddy, Louisa Beadel (Fame) as Morwenna, Becky Hurst (theatre debut) as Grace and James William-Pattison (Once) as Owen.

LtoR - Hadrian Delacey, James Gaddas, Robert Duncan, Pete Gallagher, Dakota Starr, Dan Buckley, Anton Stephans

Also in the musical are musicians Hazel Askew, Mel Biggs, and Alfie Gidley with the band being led by Musical Director James Findlay. The ensemble features Hazel Simmons, Janet Mooney, Dominic Brewer and Martin Carroll.

They all join previously announced principal cast members James Gaddas (Casualty, Mamma Mia!) as Jim, Parisa Shahmir (The Snow Queen, Mamma Mia!) as Alwyn, Robert Duncan (Casualty, Twelve Angry Men) as Jago, Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Emmerdale) as Maggie and X Factor finalist Anton Stephans as Leadville.

The musical is based on the true story of the Cornish folk band Fisherman's Friends and the 2019 film about their life.

Fisherman's Friends: The Musical is packed with songs that the band help make famous including ‘Keep Haulin'’, ‘Nelson's Blood’, ‘No Hopers Jokers & Rogues’ and plenty more.

The band have said: “Well not only did they make a film that we are not in, now there is a musical which we are not in as they dint think we were handsome enough to play ourselves! BUT we are thrilled that our musical is going on tour next year. We’ve seen it and it’s bloody fantastic and the music will blow you away. You’re all going to have a brilliant time.”

Fisherman's Friends: The Musical is directed by James Grieve and written by Amanda Whittington, with choreography by Matt Cole, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, musical supervision and arrangements by David White, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Johanna Town and casting by Jim Arnold.

Fisherman's Friends: The Musical tour locations:

Following their opening in Plymouth, Fisherman's Friends: The Musical will be heading to Birmingham, Cheltenham, Salford, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Dublin, Cardiff, Bath, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton, Canterbury, Richmond, Brighton, Oxford, Malvern, Leicester, Torquay, Truro, Bristol and Glasgow.

Full venue and ticket information can be found on the official Fisherman's Friends: The Musical website.

Scroll through our favourite jukebox musicals:

& Juliet

One of the newer entries to the jukebox musical list is & Juliet, which imagines what would have happened if Shakespeare's famous character hadn't died at the end of his play and what would come next. The show is packed with the music of producer and songwriter Max Martin who's behind the hits of some of the biggest pop artists including Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and the Backstreet Boys.


The musical includes songs such as 'Baby One More Time', 'It's My Life' 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)' and a brilliant mash up of 'Teenage Dream' and 'Break Free'.

Bat Out of Hell: The Musical

Based on Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album trilogy, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical is not a spectacle to be missed! The story is loosely based on the story of Peter Pan but set in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan which is now ruled by tyrannical ruler called Obsidian.


The show's score includes many fan favourites such as 'Bat Out of Hell', 'You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)', 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now', and 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)'.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

This musical is exactly what you'd expect from the title, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the singer and songwriter, Carole King.


The musical is packed with music written by Carole and those she worked with. Some of the songs included are 'Take Good Care of My Baby', 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', and 'I Feel the Earth Move'.

Jersey Boys

When you think about jukebox musicals there's no doubt that Jersey Boys would come to mind! Since it opened on Broadway back in 2005 Jersey Boys has become a global sensation! The musical stays close to its source material as the plot revolves around the history of The Four Seasons (AKA Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).


Using the seasons as a story telling device the musical gives each band member their chance to narrate the story. The musical includes some of The Four Seasons' most famous songs including 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'December 1963 (Oh What a Night)', and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.

Mamma Mia!

It's fair to argue that Mamma Mia is probably one of if not the most successful jukebox musicals of all time. Featuring the music of the Eurovision-winning band ABBA, Mamma Mia takes us to a Greek Island where 20-year-old Sophie is set to marry her fiancée. Sophie wants to invite her father to the wedding however she doesn't know who he could be. After finding her mother's diary she finds out there are three possible contenders and decides to invite them all to the wedding!


The West End production opened back in 1999 and includes so many of ABBA's greatest hits including 'Take a Chance on Me', 'Dancing Queen', and 'Voulez-Vous' to name a few. A film adaptation was released in 2008 with an A-list cast including Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Julie Walters. The film was a huge success and got its own sequel – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again 10 years later which starred Cher!

Moulin Rouge!

Originally made as a musical film, Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge! has been adapted as a stage show with new additions to its phenomenal score. Set in Paris' iconic venue Moulin Rouge is a story of love set in a surreal world with high camp mash ups!


After success on Broadway the show has now entertaining UK audiences in London's West End!

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

This musical has become a classic musical beloved by the LGBT+ community, based on the 1994 film of the same name, Priscilla Queen of the Desert takes us on a road trip across Australia as three drag queens travel to a perform in a show.


Despite being a fun and whacky adventure with some queer anthems such as 'Don't Leave Me This Way' , 'Go West' and 'MacArthur Park', Priscilla is unafraid to take on the tough realities of the homophobia and transphobia still suffered by the LGBT+ community.

Return to the Forbidden Planet

Probably one of the lesser-known musicals on this list, Return to the Forbidden Planet is a gem of a silly-but-fun musical. With a plot based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1956 sci-fi film Forbidden Planet this musical plays wonderful homage to classic science fiction. The musical is packed with the rock 'n' roll hits of the 1950s and 60s such as 'Great Balls of Fire', 'Good Vibrations', 'Teenager in Love', and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages takes us back to 1987 where the Bourbon Room, a Hollywood bar is under threat by developers who want to clean up the Sunset Strip's reputation for 'sex, drugs and rock-n-roll'! The show is filled with classic rock anthems such as 'Don't Stop Believin', 'We Built This City', and 'Here I Go Again'.


The musical was adapted into a film in 2012 which included a star-studded cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Mary J. Blige!

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical

Based on the life of the legendary singer, TINA: The Tina Turner musical explores her humble beginnings in town in Tennessee to growing into a global superstar. The show is packed with some iconic hits such as 'River Deep Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary'.

We Will Rock You

Does anyone else miss the statue of Freddie Mercury that used to stand at the front of the Dominion Theatre? The statue was a prominent fixture of the theatre throughout We Will Rock You's 12-year West End run. With the incredible music of Queen, We Will Rock You took us to a dystopian future where all non-computer generated music is banned and all instruments have been locked away!


The show is jam packed with brilliant characters and amazing Queen songs including 'Radio Gaga' (with some updated lyrics), 'Somebody to Love', 'Killer Queen' 'Under Pressure', and 'Seven Seas of Rye'.

Read more:

The Choir of Man to return to the West End 🎶

The Cher Show UK & Ireland tour

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