A cast of familiar Musical Theatre performers is announced today to join Les Miserables star Mandy Holliday, returning to the West End in a new version of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous folk tale, The Tinder Box.
The Tinder Box promises to delight young audiences and their families at Charing Cross Theatre with special daytime performances between Saturday December 12 and Sunday January 3.
Samuel J Weir (Brian The Brave) was US Marine Fector in Dogfight, The Bellboy in Grand Hotel and Frankie Epps in Parade (all at Southwark Playhouse for producer Danielle Tarento and director Thom Southerland). He joined the cast of Titanic for its transfer from London to the Princess of Wales, Toronto and was the Groom/Bargeman in the UK premiere of Jerry Herman’s The Grand Tour at the Finborough.
Ceris Hine (The Gold Dog) returns to Charing Cross Theatre, where she was nominated Best Female Performance in the Off West End Awards for USHERS: The Front of House Musical. She was Columbia in The Rocky Horror Show 40th Anniversary Tour.
Bridget Costello (The Princess) New Zealand-born Costello graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and went on to play the title role in Princess Ida at the Finborough Theatre.
Mandy Holliday (The Old Witch, Harry the Hound & The Wicked Queen) starred as Madame Thenardier in the West End production of Les Miserables and on tour, Barbara in Mum’s the Word (UK No 1 tour), Jan in Girl’s Night In (tour), Countess Boronski in Simon Brett’s Little Red Riding Hood, Lucy in The London Merchant (Southwark Playhouse) and Helene Hanff in 84 Charing Cross Road (site specific production). Mandy loves performing for younger audiences and her work in Children’s theatre productions has taken her all over the UK. She is widely known as Mrs Bubbles and has wrote and directed a variety of children’s classics which toured nationwide for several years including included The Tinder Box, Return to Wonderland, The Railway Children, The Water Babies and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
The Tinder Box, based on a Scandinavian folk tale Andersen learned in his childhood, has been adapted by Mandy Holliday.
In The Tinder Box, Brian the Brave, a penniless solider is returning from the war. He acquires a magic tinderbox and embarks on a quest to find his true love. This enchanting, fun-filled musical features an array of wonderful, colourful characters, cleverly combining classical music and story-telling with comedy, lots of audience interaction plus a few surprises along the way! It’s an unmissable treat for the whole family!
www.the-tinderbox.com
Saturday 12 December 2015 – Sunday 3 January 2016
Charing Cross Theatre
www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk