Full casting announced for new musical I Should Be So Lucky
A jukebox musical not to be missed!
Last updated 18th Jul 2023
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, show creator Debbie Isitt and Ambassador Theatre Group Productions have announced full casting for I Should Be So Lucky. The team have also announced that Kylie Minogue will digitally appear throughout the show as a specially created character unique to the musical.
Kylie Minogue said: 'I’m thrilled to announce that I will be joining Stock Aitken Waterman in presenting the new musical, 'I Should Be So Lucky'! It is the music that inspired a generation (plus my first five albums!) so to have all the SAW hits in this original story will make for a compelling, funny and heartfelt show. Let’s enjoy the magic all over again!'
The full cast of the musical includes Kayla Carter (The Color Purple, Bedknobs and Broomsticks) as Bonnie, Jamie Chapman (Nativity! The Musical, The Mousetrap) as Spencer, Jemma Churchill (Guys and Dolls, Nativity! THe Musical) as Ivy, Matthew Croke (Wicked, Aladdin) as Nadeem, Jessica Daley (Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables) as Britney, Gary Davis (Annie, Oklahoma!) as Big Mike, Melissa Jacques (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Mamma Mia!) as Shelley, Scott Paige (The Great British Bake Off Musical, Made in Dagenham) as Michael, Billy Roberts (Rock of Ages, Titanic The Musical) as Nathan, Giovanni Spanò (Jesus Christ Superstar, Bat Out of Hell) as Ash, Lucie-Mae Sumner (Mary Poppins, Guys and Dolls) as Ella and Anna Unwin (Aspects of Love) as Olivia. The cast is completed by Tegan Bannister, Ralph Bogard, Elliot Broadfoot, Emma Crossley, Kade Ferraiolo, Sydney Isitt-Ager, Joe Kelly, Aidan Nightingale, James Willoughby Moore, Lauren Woolf and Louie Wood.
Written and directed by Debbie Isitt (NATIVITY!), choreographed by Jason Gilkison (Creative Director of Strictly Come Dancing and Eurovision 2023), with orchestrations and musical direction by George Dyer and set and costume design by Tom Rogers.
Ella and Nathan, a young couple, hopelessly in love and about to take the biggest step of their lives – marriage. Until it doesn’t go quite to plan. Will they be together forever, or will he make her cry and say goodbye?
Featuring the soundtrack of a generation with music from pop royalty including Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky), Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Jason Donovan (Especially For You) and Bananarama (Love In The First Degree).
I Should Be So Lucky features no less than 10 Number 1 singles and over 30 songs from the Hit Factory whose music defined an era.
WATCH: The trailer for I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky tour dates:
Manchester Opera House: Monday 1st - Saturday 25th November 2023
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff: Monday 27th - Saturday 2nd December 2023
Plymouth Theatre Royal: Monday 4th - Sunday 9th December 2023
Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House: Tuesday 12th - Saturday 30th December 2023
Orchard Theatre, Dartford: Monday 8th - Saturday 13th January 2024
Sheffield Lyceum: 16th - Saturday 20th January
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton: Tuesday 23rd - Saturday 27th January
New Wimbledon Theatre: Monday 29th - Saturday 3rd February
New Oxford Theatre: Monday 5th - Saturday 10th February
King's Theatre, Glasgow: Monday 12th - Saturday 17th February
Hull New Theatre: Monday 19th - Saturday 24th February
Milton Keynes Theatre: Tuesday 5th - Saturday 9th March
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend: Monday 11th - Saturday 16th March
New Victoria Theatre, Woking: Monday 25th - Saturday 23rd March
Churchill Theatre, Bromley: Monday 25th - Saturday 30th March
The Alexandra, Birmingham: Monday 1st - Saturday 6th April
Bristol Hippodrome: Tuesday 9th - Saturday 13th April
Liverpool Empire: Monday 15th - Saturday 20th April
Sunderland Empire: Monday 22nd - Saturday 27th April
His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen: Tuesday 30th - Saturday 4th May
To get tickets and find out more you can visit the I Should Be So Lucky website
Have a look at more 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'.
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