Cast announced for world premiere of CAROLINE - A NEW MUSICAL
The cast and creative team have been revealed for the world premiere of vibrant new musical, Caroline, which opens its tour at New Wolsey Theatre on 17 April before visiting Hornchurch, Peterborough, Colchester and Bury St Edmunds.
The talented cast of actor-musicians includes: Nicola Bryan (Mamma Mia!, International tour) as Betty, Gareth Cooper (One Man, Two Guvnors, New Vic Theatre) as Postmaster General, Jake Halsey-Jones (Hamilton, West End) as Robbie, Joey Hickman (Noël and Gertie, UK tour) as Declan, Rhiannon Hopkins (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, UK and Ireland tour) as Kitty, James Lawrence (Doctor Who: Time Fracture, Immersive Everywhere) as Steven, Claire Lee Shenfield (The Rivals, Orange Tree Theatre/Theatre Royal Bath) as Caroline, Jerome Lincoln (Standing At The Sky’s Edge, West End) as the Private Secretary, Perry Meadowcroft (JUDY!, Arts Theatre) as Dave the Fish, and Eloise Richardson (Dick Whittington and His Cat, New Wolsey Theatre) as Mary.
A radio station for young people! Why do we need that? Caroline dreams of more than stacking shelves at the local greengrocers. By night she escapes to the pier with her best friend Mary and Robbie, her music-mad boyfriend. When Robbie lands a shock gig with pirate station Radio Caroline, blasting pop and rock from a ship off the Essex coast, Caroline is swept into a tidal wave of music, mayhem and a revolution that will shake British culture
Caroline is written by the award-winning Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul and Alex Thorpe. The creative team also includes sound designer Helen Atkinson, set and costume designer Stella Backman, dramaturg Titilola Dawudu, voice coach Charmaine Hoare, fight and intimacy director Haruka Kuroda, lighting designer Callum Macdonald, musical supervisor Paul Schofield, and choreographer Sundeep Saini.
Director Douglas Rintoul said: “Caroline is a story born from the spirit of East Anglia - rebellious, creative, and full of music. To be announcing this extraordinary cast and creative team as the inaugural production of the East Anglian Touring Consortium feels incredibly exciting. This collaboration brings together some of the region’s leading theatres to create work at scale, rooted in our place but with national ambition. I can’t wait for audiences across the region to experience the energy, heart and soundtrack of this remarkable story brought to life by such an exceptional company.”
Caroline is a feel-good blast of 60s hits, heart, and hometown pride capturing the moment Britain turned up the volume and never looked back. Inspired by the true story of Britain’s pirate radio revolution which set the soundtrack to the sixties and gave a whole generation a new voice, Caroline is packed with era-defining anthems. Exploding with energy and optimism sweeping from chip shops to shipping lanes and tiny transistor radios to the halls of power, this funny, heartfelt musical about love and loyalty celebrates East Anglia’s special connection to a story that rocked the world.
She’s not a DJ She’s not a rock star. But Caroline might just steal the show!