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ASHLEIGH GRAY joins the UK Tour of WICKED along with Steven Pinder, Richard Vincent and Jacqueline Hughes



ASHLEIGH GRAY, SAMUEL EDWARDS, STEVEN PINDER, RICHARD VINCENT
AND JACQUELINE HUGHES TO JOIN RECORD-BREAKING WICKED UK TOUR
NEW CAST BEGINS 16 SEPTEMBER AT LIVERPOOL EMPIRE

WICKED, the global musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is pleased to announce that Ashleigh Gray (Elphaba), Samuel Edwards (Fiyero), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Richard Vincent (Boq) and Jacqueline Hughes (Standby Elphaba) will join the record-breaking UK Tour from Tuesday 16 September 2014 at Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Current cast members Nikki Davis-Jones (Elphaba), Liam Doyle (Fiyero), Dale Rapley (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), George Ure (Boq) and Jemma Alexander (Standby Elphaba) will all play their final performances on Saturday 6 September 2014 at Birmingham Hippodrome. Nikki Davis-Jones will join the London production from Monday 27 October 2014.

Emily Tierney (Glinda), Marilyn Cutts (Madame Morrible) and Carina Gillespie (Nessarose) all continue in their current starring roles.

The tour is currently at Leeds Grand Theatre (until 5 July 2014) and continues to Birmingham
Hippodrome (9 July to 6 September 2014); Liverpool Empire Theatre (16 September to 11 October 2014); Southampton Mayflower Theatre (21 October to 15 November 2014); Edinburgh Playhouse (19 November 2014 to 10 January 2015); Plymouth Theatre Royal (20 January to 14 February 2015); Bristol Hippodrome (18 February to 21 March 2015); Sunderland Empire Theatre (31 March to 25 April 2015); Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre (5 to 30 May 2015) and concludes at The Lowry in Salford (3 June to 25 July 2015). Tickets are now on sale at all venues and can be booked via www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

From Tuesday 16 September 2014, the Wicked UK Tour will star:
Ashleigh Gray (Elphaba)
Emily Tierney (Glinda)
Samuel Edwards (Fiyero)
Marilyn Cutts (Madame Morrible)
Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond)
Carina Gillespie (Nessarose)
Richard Vincent (Boq)
Jacqueline Hughes (Standby Elphaba)

Ashleigh Gray
Acclaimed as “quite simply, the best musical I’ve ever seen” (Yorkshire Evening Post), the tour has already broken Box Office records and won multiple five star reviews across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

The award-winning London production continues its open-ended run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it is now the 10th longest running show in the West End. Around the world, Wicked has already been seen by 42 million people in 13 countries, and won 100 international awards.

In a brilliantly witty re-imagining of the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the international best-selling novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.

Official UK & Ireland website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk


NEW CAST MEMBERS

ASHLEIGH GRAY (Elphaba) has enjoyed a long association with the West End production of Wicked having originally joined the ensemble in 2007. She subsequently became Standby ‘Elphaba’ and has continued to act in this capacity at various times, playing ‘Elphaba’ on numerous occasions. Originally from Midlothian, Scotland, Ashleigh trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating with First Class BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre, the Principals Award for Musical Theatre and The Margaret Veale Award for Singing. Ashleigh subsequently joined the national tour of Boy George’s musical Taboo, playing the leading role of ‘Kim’. More recently she created the role of ‘Lorraine Campbell’ in the world premiere of the Susan Boyle musical I Dreamed A Dream, touring across the UK and Ireland. She subsequently appeared with Susan Boyle in her concert tour. Her many other theatre appearances include ‘Stephanie Zinone’ in Cool Rider; ‘Emily’ in Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns; ‘Miranda’ in Betwixt; ‘Miss Lynch’ in Grease (UK Tour) and ‘Martha’ in The Secret Garden (UK Tour). Ashleigh has also made numerous concert appearances in London and across the UK.

SAMUEL EDWARDS (Fiyero) is currently appearing in the London production of Wicked. His other theatre appearances include: Ghost The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre); 'Feuilly' in Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre) and The Sound of Music (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park). He trained at Arts Educational Schools, London.

STEVEN PINDER (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond) played ‘Max Farnham’ in Phil Redmond’s Brookside (Channel 4) from 1990 until its final episode in 2003. His many recent theatre appearances include: ‘Barney Cashman’ in Neil Simon’s The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (St Helen’s Theatre Royal), with Debra Stephenson; ‘Frank’ in The Memory of Water (New Vic and Stephen Joseph Theatre), directed by Nikolai Foster; ‘George’ in the comedy Who’s Under Where; ‘Stanley Banks’ in Father of the Bride and ‘Clem Watkins’ in the thriller Scared To Death, written and directed by Ron Aldridge (all at the Mill at Sonning); ‘Mr van Daan’ in The Diary of Anne Frank (UK Tour), directed by Nikolai Foster, and ‘Reverend Shaw Moore’ in Footloose (UK Tour), with Matt Willis. In addition to Brookside, his many other television appearances include Doctors: The Bad Samaritan; True Crime; Holby City; Casualty; Emmerdale; two series as ‘Owen Buckley’ in Foxy Lady, with Diane Keen, and two series as ‘Roy Lambert’ in Crossroads from 1985-1988.

RICHARD VINCENT (Boq) trained at the London School of Musical Theatre. His theatre appearances include: ‘Doody’ in Grease (UK Tour) with Carina Gillespie;Harry’ in State Fair (Trafalgar Studios); ‘Jack Scott’ in High School Musical (UK Tour); ‘Lysander’ in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (UK Tour) and the title roles in Peter Pan and Jack and the Beanstalk (Qdos).

JACQUELINE HUGHES (Standby Elphaba) is currently appearing in the London production of Wicked.  She first joined the production in 2011 having graduated from The Guildford School of Acting with First Class BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre. Her other appearances include: 'Fairy Godmother' in Cinderella (DG1, Dumfries)
and 'Doreen' in Tony Roper’s The Steamie (UK Tour).



UK TOUR

LEEDS: until 5 July 2014
Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 6NZ

BIRMINGHAM: 9 July to 6 September 2014
Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, West Midlands B5 4TB

LIVERPOOL: 16 September to 11 October 2014
Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 1JE

SOUTHAMPTON: 21 October to 15 November 2014
The Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, Hampshire S015 1GE

EDINBURGH: 19 November 2014 to 10 January 2015
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA

PLYMOUTH:  20 January to 14 February 2015
Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR

BRISTOL: 18 February to 21 March 2015
Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustines Parade, Bristol BS1 4UZ

SUNDERLAND: 31 March to 25 April 2015
Sunderland Empire Theatre, 4-5 High Street W, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR1 3EX

ABERDEEN: 5 to 30 May 2015
His Majesty's Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL

SALFORD: 3 June to 25 July 2015 [FINAL PERFORMANCE]
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ

Tickets for all venues can be booked via www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Transaction and/or booking fees may apply to online and telephone sales.

Wicked is suitable for a general audience. As a guide to parents and guardians, it is recommended for ages 7+. All persons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Children under 3 years of age will not be admitted.



LONDON PRODUCTION NOW BOOKING TO 25 APRIL 2015

APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE LONDON

Discover more and book tickets at: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk


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