Full casting revealed for South Pacific in the West End and UK and Ireland tour
The Rogers and Hammerstein classic returns
Last updated 17th Jun 2022
The Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific will be heading on a UK and Ireland tour this year which follows a season at Sadler's Wells in London
Full casting has been revealed for the production which first opens at the Manchester Opera House on 16th July before they open in London on 28th July.
South Pacific UK and Ireland tour: Cast
Gina Beck as Ensign Nellie Forbush
Gina has appeared in Matilda (Cambridge Theatre), Show Boat (West End/Sheffield Theatres), Wicked (Apollo Victoria/US Tour), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre) and Les Misérables (Queens Theatre).
Julian Ovenden as Emile de Becque
Julian's credits include All About Eve (Noël Coward Theatre), The Treatment (Almeida Theatre), My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/Apollo Theatre), Show Boat (Lincoln Centre, NYC), Grand Hotel, Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse) and Sunday in the Park with George (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris)
Lee Ross as Luther Billis
Lee is best known for his work playing Owen Tunrer in EastEnders along with other TV credits including Doctor Who and The Catherine Tate Show. His theatre credits include Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Birdsong.
Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary
Joanna's credits include Cats (UK, European, Middle East, Asian, 40th Anniversary tours), Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert (Japan), Waitress (Manila); Defying Gravity (Sydney), The Sound of Musicals (UK tour), The Bridges of Madison County (Manila), Nellie Forbush in South Pacific in Concert (Manila) and West End Women (UK tour).
Rob Houchen as Lt. Joseph Cable
Rob's credits include Rob Houchen in Concert (Cadogan Hall), City of Angels (Garrick Theatre), Les Misérables in Concert (Gielgud Theatre and Japan), The Light in the Piazza (Royal Festival Hall/LA Opera/Lyric Opera Chicago) and Eugenius! (The Other Palace).
Sera Maehara as Lait
Sera's credits include Warrior Queens at Sadler's Wells, Qualms directed by Julia Cheng, Carmen for Dance Marche and as a soloist for the Roussewaltz Dance Company and Junior Associate Artist for Fabula Collective.
They are joined by David Birrell as Captain George Brackett, Stephen John Davis as Commander William Harbison, Antoine Murray-Straughan as Stewpot, Charlie Waddell as Professor and Olly Christopher as Sergeant Johnson.
The cast is completed by Iroy Abesamis, Feline Andersson, Charlotte Coggin, Annabel Edwards, Leslie Garcia Bowman, Sergio Giacomelli, Ellie Jane Grant, Josh Kiernan, Matthew Maddison, Rachel Jayne Picar, Kate Playdon, George Renshaw, Pierce Rogan, Charlotte Scott, Trezel Sergeant, Nikhil Singh Rai, James Wilkinson-Jones and Eleanor Wright.
South Pacific is a beloved classic having first opened on Broadway in 1949 where it became on of the longest running shows on the Great White Way. The show includes some of Rodgers & Hammerstein's most famous songs including 'Some Enchanted Evening', and 'I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair'.
Daniel Evans and Kathy Bourne, Artistic and Executive Directors of Chichester Festival Theatre respectively, said: ‘We are always delighted to be able to share work made in Chichester beyond the borders of Sussex, and we’re proud to be working with our friends at Sadler’s Wells and many other regional theatres to bring Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical to wider audiences across the country.’
What is South Pacific about?
The story is based on James A. Michener Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'Tales of the South Pacific'. Set in 1943, on an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, US troops are kicking their heels amid the cacao groves while restlessly waiting for the war to reach them. Nellie Forbush, a navy nurse from Arkansas, finds herself falling for the French plantation owner, Emile de Becque – a man with a mysterious past.
The scheming sailor Luther Billis runs a makeshift laundry to earn a quick buck, but he’s no match for the Polynesian Bloody Mary who’s intent on exploiting these foreigners. When young Princeton graduate Lieutenant Joe Cable is flown in on a dangerous reconnaissance mission, love and fear become entwined as the island’s battle for hearts and minds begins.
Where can I see South Pacific?
The tour will open at the Manchester Opera House on 16th July 2022 before heading to Sadler's Wells in London where it will run from 27th July through until 28th August 2022.
The tour will then be heading to Dublin, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Nottingham, Leeds and Canterbury.
Who directed South Pacific?
This production of South Pacific is directed by the Chichester Festival Theatre's Artistic Director, Daniel Evans. His other credits include This Is My Family, Quiz and Fiddler on the Roof.
How to get tickets for South Pacific
Tickets for South Pacific at Sadler's Wells are available by calling Sadler's Wells' ticket office on 020 7863 8000, emailing tickets@sadlerswells.com or by booking online.
Details for the Manchester Opera House and the UK & Ireland tour can be found on the on the South Pacific website.
WATCH: Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific trailer
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