Casting announced for international tour of Sting musical THE LAST SHIP
17-time Grammy Award winning artist Sting will perform in his musical, THE LAST SHIP, in Amsterdam, Brisbane and Paris, it has been announced.
The global icon will play a leading role in a renewed version of The Last Ship, the acclaimed musical first developed by Sting in 2011 and initially inspired by his 1991 album The Soul Cages.
Rooted in his own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, The Last Ship tells the moving story of a community of shipbuilders in the northeast of England, faced with the closure of their shipyard – the heart of their existence.
Sting takes on the role of Jackie White, the shipyard’s foreman whose health is failing just as his leadership is needed most. In this very personal show, the artist immerses the audience in a hometown he was desperate to escape, a world where love, loss, and hope intertwine. Sting said: "I grew up in the shadow of the shipyard. My father wanted me to follow him into the shipyard, but I dreamed of something else… I dreamed of escaping, and I did everything in my power to get away from that life. But the farther I got, the more I realised I needed to understand where I came from and felt I had to give something back. The Last Ship is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me.”
Taking a break from his STING 3.0 world concert touring schedule, Sting has dedicated 2026 to taking The Last Ship production to cities across the globe, including Amsterdam, Brisbane and Paris performing in every show. Further cities are to be announced.
Sting’s beloved songs such as ‘Island of Souls’, ‘All This Time’, and ‘When We Dance’ are woven into the performance in a full stage production featuring a company of over 50.
Other casting announced today includes Declan Bennett (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse) as Gideon, Lauren Samuels (Wicked, US tour) as Meg, and Annette McClaughlin as Peggy White, with Marc Akinfolarin, Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong, Matt Beveridge, Joe Caffrey, Mathew Craig, Matthew Gent, Llandyll Gove, Lou Henry, Helen Hill, Lemuel Knights, Grant Neal, Hannah Richardson, Gabrielle Stylianou, Emma Thornett, and Kevin Yates. Further casting will be announced on 12 November.
This revised production will feature a new book by Barney Norris, from a book by Lorne Campbell, based on an original book by John Logan & Brian Yorkey.
The production will be directed by Leo Warner, with set and video design by 59 Studio, set and props design by Jenny Melville, costumes by Loren Elstein, lighting by Adam Bassett, sound by Tom Gibbons, animation direction by Matt Taylor, choreography Rebecca Howell, video design by Benjamin Pearcy, musical supervision and orchestratations by Ron Mathes, and musical direction and co-orchestrations by Richard John.
For more info on The Last Ship, please click here.