The production is set to open at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme on the 3rd March.
Casting has now been confirmed for the upcoming UK tour of the Regency farce Quality Street, directed by Laurie Sansom and presented by Northern Broadsides and the New Vic Theatre when it tours from March.
The cast is set to be led by Paula Lane, who will be familiar to audiences for her six years in Coronation Street as Kylie Platt, as well as her work in Call The Midwife, Father Brown and Kinky Boots as Phoebe Throssel. She is joined in the production by Alicia McKenzie (Small Island, National Theatre; Bleak Expectations, The Watermill Theatre) as Mary Willoughby / Lotte, Louisa- May Parker (Coronation Street, ITV; Sitcom Stories, Edinburgh Fringe) as Susan Throssel, Jelani D’Aguilar (My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder
Theatre Company; Planet Caravan, People Zoo) as Fanny Willoughby / Isabella / Sandra, Alice Imelda (Stick Man, Freckle Productions; I Spie, The Telling) as Charlotte Parratt / Jo, Aron Julius (As You Like It, Northern Broadsides; A Christmas Carol and Love, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) will be Captain Valentine Brown and Alex Moran (War Horse, National Theatre; A Clockwork Orange, Volcano) as Ensign Blades / Arthur / Brenda. The cast is completed by Jamie Smelt (Macca & Beth, Royal Court Liverpool; Ackley Bridge, Channel 4) is Recruiting Sergeant / Georgy / Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins (Murder, Margaret & Me, Tilted Wig Productions; Gangsta Granny, National Tour and Garrick, West End)
as Patty / Barbara.
Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years on after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain’s heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.
Laurie Sansom, director of Quality Street and Artistic Director / CEO of Northern Broadsides said: “It was heart-breaking to have to abandon this production in 2020 when it was being enjoyed by so many. We are thrilled to be working with our wonderful partners at New Vic Theatre to bring it back to stages up and down the country with a fantastically playful company. They capture the wit and wisdom of J.M. Barrie’s delightfully comic creation, as well as the Halifax women who helped us make the original show. We can’t wait to get it back on the road.”
After its run at the New Vic Theatre it will then visit Devonshire Park Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Richmond Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Leeds Playhouse, York Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Victoria Theatre, Halifax.
The production’s creative team includes designer Jessica Worrall, lighting designer Joe Price, sound designer Nick Sagar, choreographer Ben Wright and puppet maker Beka Haigh.
For more information visit: https://www.northern-broadsides.co.uk/shows/quality-street/