There are just six weeks left to see the critically acclaimed, Olivier Award nominated musical MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS at the Noel Coward Theatre. The final performance of this strictly limited 18-week season will be on Saturday 18 June 2016.
Based on the 2005 film of the same name MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS stars Tracie Bennett as ‘Mrs Henderson’ and Ian Bartholomew as ‘Vivian Van Damm’ (played by Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins respectively in the film); Emma Williams as ‘Maureen’; all recently nominated at the 2016 Olivier Awards, and Jamie Foreman as ‘Arthur’.
It’s London, 1937, and recently widowed eccentric, Laura Henderson, is looking for a way of spending her time and money when her attention falls on a run-down former cinema in Great Windmill Street. Hiring feisty impresario Vivian Van Damm to look after the newly renovated Windmill Theatre, the improbable duo present a bill of non-stop variety acts. But as war looms something more is required to boost morale and box office… When Mrs Henderson comes up with the idea of The Windmill Girls – glamorous young women posing as nude statues – audiences flock. And as the Blitz hits London, The Windmill provides a refuge for all, boasting the spirit-raising slogan “We Never Close”.
Tracie Bennett is a double Olivier Award-winner for her performances in the musicals She Loves Me and Hairspray. She received huge acclaim all over the world for her portrayal of Judy Garland in End Of The Rainbow, and was Tony Award nominated for her lead role in the production, also directed by Terry Johnson. Her West End credits also include the musicals La Cage Aux Folles and Les Miserables. Her many television roles include playing Sharon Gaskell in Coronation Street and Sharon in Scott and Bailey.
Ian Bartholomew was Olivier Award-nominated for the West End musicals Into the Woods and Radio Times. In a career spanning forty years, amongst his many theatre credits he has performed at the National Theatre extensively, most recently in The Power of Yes, and his numerous West End credits also include Shakespeare in Love, Tommy and Terry Johnson’s Dead Funny.
Emma Williams played Truly Scrumptious in the original cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium. She was Olivier-nominated for her roles in the West End musicals Zorro and Love Story.
Jamie Foreman is probably best known as Derek Branning in EastEnders. His other TV credits include Lenny in Birds of a Feather. His many film credits include Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist opposite Ben Kingsley, Duke in Layer Cake, Gary Oldman’s Nil by Mouth, Elizabeth and Sleepy Hollow.
The rest of the cast includes: Robert Hands as ‘Cromer’, Matthew Malthouse as ‘Eddie’, Samuel Holmes as ‘Bertie’, Katie Bernstein as ‘Peggy’, Lizzy Connolly as ‘Doris’, Lauren Hood as ‘Vera’ and Liz Ewing as Lady Conway. The rest of the company includes Sarah Bakker, Andrew Bryant, Rhiannon Chesterman, Alexander Delamere, Emily Goodenough, Victoria Hay, Oliver Jackson, Ian Gareth Jones, Katrina Kleve, Lauren Logan, Tania Newton, Sam O’Rourke, Neil Stewart and Dickie Wood.
Based on the film Mrs Henderson Presents – original screenplay by Martin Sherman, the musical has a book and is directed by the multi-award winning Terry Johnson. Lyrics are by the Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe winning Don Black with music by Oscar nominated George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain, who both collaborated on the original film. It is choreographed by Andrew Wright, has set design by Tim Shortall, costume design by Paul Wills, lighting design by Ben Ormerod and sound design by Gareth Owen. Wig, hair and make-up design is by Richard Mawbey, orchestrations are by Larry Blank with musical supervision by Mike Dixon.
Photo: Paul Coltas
Mrs Henderson Presents is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre until 18 June
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