A new UK production of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, heads back out onto the road this week after a sensational Christmas season in the West End followed by international dates in Bremen and Cannes.
Starring Lewis Griffiths as ‘Johnny Castle’, Katie Hartland as ‘Baby Houseman’ and Carlie Milner as ‘Penny Johnson’, the UK tour has taken over £10million pounds since it hit the road last August and, due to overwhelming demand for tickets around the country, even more dates have been added, including return visits to Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool, Woking and Sunderland.
The classic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, returns to the UK, following two blockbuster West End runs, two hit UK tours, and various international productions.
Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, this record-breaking all new concept of the show is directed by Federico Bellone, choreographed by Gillian Bruce with set design re-imagined by top Italian designer Roberto Comotti. It premiered in Milan in July 2015, subsequently packing out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona, and then played a season in Rome.
The rest of the company are: Julian Harries as ‘Jake Houseman’, Simone Craddock as ‘Marjorie Houseman’, Tony Stansfield ‘as Max Kellerman’, Jo Servi as ‘Tito Suarez’, Lizzie Ottley as ‘Lisa Houseman’, Michael Kent as ‘Billy Kostecki’, Greg Fossard as ‘Neil Kellerman’, Nigel Nevinson as ‘Mr Schumacher’, Daniela Pobega as ‘Elizabeth’, and Camilla Rowland as ‘Vivian’. Also joining the company are Gabby Antrobus, Imogen Brooke, Simon Campbell, Robert Colvin, Katie Eccles, Beth Highsted, Samuel John Humphreys, Megan Louch, Ashley Rumble, Callum Sterling, Austin Wilks and Karl James Wilson, who is the Alternate ‘Johnny Castle’.
It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year- old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, she shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles across an all-night dance party at the staff quarters. Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor. Her life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off, and two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.
Dirty Dancing –The Classic Story On Stage originally opened at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2006 with a record-breaking advance of £15 million, making it the fastest ever selling show in West End theatre history. The production became the longest running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre and played to over 2 million people during its triumphant 5 year run.
2017 TOUR DATES
11 – 21 January
Southend Cliffs Pavilion
23 – 28 January
Theatre Royal Newcastle
30 January – 4 February
Belgrade Theatre Coventry
6 – 11 February
Dublin Bord Gais Theatre
13 – 18 February
Millennium Forum, Derry
20 – 25 February
Grand Opera House Belfast
27 February – 4 March
INEC Killarney
7 – 11 March
Churchill Bromley
20 – 25 March
Ipswich Regent
27 March-1 April
Cardiff New Theatre
3 – 8 April
Wycombe Swan
10 – 15 April
Leicester De Montfort Hall
17 – 22 April
Hall for Cornwall Truro
24 – 29 April
Milton Keynes Theatre
1 – 6 May
Bradford Alhambra
8 – 13 May
Inverness Eden Court
23 – 27 May
Grimsby Auditorium
29 May – 3 June
Birmingham Alexandra
5 – 10 June
Sheffield Lyceum
12 – 17 June
Edinburgh Playhouse
19 – 24 June
Glasgow Kings Theatre
26 June – 1 July
Sunderland Empire
3 – 8 July
Bristol Hippodrome
18 – 22 July
Manchester Palace
24 – 29 July
Grand Theatre Leeds
31 July – 5 August
Princess Theatre Torquay
14 – 19 August
The Hawth, Crawley
21 – 26 August
Bournemouth Pavilion
29 August – 2 September
Blackpool Opera House
4 – 9 September
New Victoria Woking
11 – 16 September
Venue Cymru Llandudno
18 – 23 September
Liverpool Empire
Photo: Alastair Muir
