Final casting for the UK touring production of American Idiot have been announced – including double platinum selling artist Newton Faulkner.
The UK tour production of the Tony award winning musical will see Newton Faulkner taking on the role of Johnny from May 2016, after Matt Thorpe who will open the role from the 19th March at the Curve theatre in Leicester, until the 7th May at the New Theatre in Oxford.
Faulkner will join the previously announced Amelia Lily (Whatsername), Alexis Gerred (Tunny), Llandyll Gove (Gerard), Lucas Rush (St Jimmy) and Steve Rushton (Will) – all of whom reprise their roles from the acclaimed production at the Arts Theatre in London.
Further casting will include: Cellen Chugg Jones (Theo), Jemma Geanaus (Alysha), Karina Hind (Libby), Emma Housley (Heather), Lawrence Libor(Swing), Alice Stokoe (Extraordinary Girl) and Matt Thorpe (Johnny).
Talking about joining the cast, Newton Faulkner said: “My first ever band was essentially a Green Day cover band, with one of the guys currently in the show, Lucas Rush, so it’s amazingly strange to be reunited under these circumstances. I can’t wait. The first record I ever bought was Dookie, so yea, I was a massive Green Day fan, still am.”
The UK tour will visit Manchester, Leicester, Sunderland, Cardiff, Belfast and Birmingham as well as many other stops, running from the 19th March to the 2nd July. For a full list of tour dates visit here.
American Idiot won two Tony awards and the 2010 Grammy award for Best Musical Show Album, telling the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning after the events of 9/11.
The musical features hit songs such as ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, 21 Guns’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ – all taken from Green Day’s 2004 album ‘American Idiot’.
The production is directed and choreographed by Racky Plews whose previous credits includes: State Fair, Guys and Dolls (The Gatehouse), The Drowsy Chaperone and Into the Woods.
American Idiot heads off on its UK tour from the 19th March to the 2nd July. To book tickets for some of the shows visit: ATG Tickets .