Full casting is announced today for Footloose: The Musical, which returns next month following a smash-hit 2016 tour. Opening at New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 21 April, the tour will include a strictly limited West End season at The Peacock, playing for three weeks from Tuesday 12 September 2017.
Joshua Dowen will play Ren McCormack, the role immortalised on screen by Kevin Bacon. Joshua’s stage credits include Dogfight at Southwark Playhouse, Cool Rider at the Duchess Theatre and All or Nothing at the Vaults Festival.
The cast also features Hannah Price (reprising her performance from the 2016 tour) as Ariel Moore, Reuven Gershon (Let It Be, West End and Broadway) as Reverend Shaw, Lindsay Goodhand (Crazy For You, Watermill Theatre) as Ethel McCormack, Laura Sillett (Grease, International Tour) as Rusty, Connor Going (The Pirates of Penzance, Sh*tfaced Shakesepare) as Chuck, Emma Fraser (The Vaudevillians, Les Enfants Terribles) as Wendy Jo, Gracie Lai (Avenue Q, UK Tour) as Urleen, Tomas Wolstenhome (Once, West End) as Bickle, Dominic Gee Burch as Jeter and Alex Marshall (Buddy, UK Tour) as Wes. The cast also includes Luke Dowling, Grace Lancaster, Laurence Libor, Jamie Ross and Lauren Storer.
They join the previously announced Gareth Gates as Willard and Maureen Nolan as Vi Moore.
Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and electrifying music.
When the film was released in 1984, it became the highest-grossing February release in US film history. The soundtrack album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number one and went on to top album charts all over the world, eventually selling in excess of 17 million copies. Footloose was nominated for a Golden Globe, and both the title song and Let’s Hear It for the Boy received Academy Award nominations. Footloose: The Musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006.
Gareth Gates will not appear in Wimbledon and Chester.
Footloose 2017 UK TOUR
Friday 21 – Saturday 22 April 2017
NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre | 020 8545 7900
Gareth Gates will not appear in Wimbledon
Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 May 2017
YORK GRAND OPERA HOUSE
Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york | 0844 871 3024
Monday 8 – Saturday 13 May 2017
WYCOMBE SWAN THEATRE
Box Office www.wycombeswan.co.uk | 01494 512 000
Monday 15 – Saturday 20 May 2017
RICHMOND THEATRE
Box Office www.atgtickets.com/richmond | 0844 871 7651
Monday 22 – Saturday 27 May 2017
QUEEN’S THEATRE, HORNCHURCH
Box Office www.queens-theatre.co.uk | 01708 443333
Tuesday 30 May – Saturday 3 June 2017
BUXTON OPERA HOUSE
Box Office www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk | 01298 72190
Monday 5 – Saturday 10 June 2017
VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO
Box Office www.venuecymru.co.uk | 01492 872000
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 June 2017
COVENTRY BELGRADE THEATRE
Box Office www.belgrade.co.uk | 024 7655 3055
Monday 19 – Saturday 25 June 2017
SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE
Box Office www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre | 01792 475715
Monday 10 – Saturday 15 July 2017
GUILDFORD G LIVE
Box Office www.glive.co.uk | 0844 7701 797
Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 July 2017
CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY
Box Office www.churchilltheatre.co.uk | 020 3285 6000
Wednesday 26 July – Sunday 6 August 2017
KURSAAL OOSTENDE, BELGIUM
Monday 7 – Saturday 12 August 2017
PRESTON GUILD HALL
Box Office www.prestonguildhall.co.uk | 01772 80 44 44
Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 August 2017
DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE, EASTBOURNE
Box Office www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk | 01323 412 000
Monday 21 – Saturday 26 August 2017
THE TOWNGATE THEATRE, BASILDON
Box Office www.towngatetheatre.co.uk | 01268 465 465
Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 September 2017
STORYHOUSE THEATRE, CHESTER
Box Office www.storyhouse.com | 0845 241 7868
Gareth Gates will not appear in Chester
Tuesday 12 – Saturday 30 September 2017
THE PEACOCK, LONDON
Performances Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 4.00pm
Box Office www.peacocktheatre.com | 020 7863 8222
