Back in March 2019, Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome announced that the previously announced Seyi Omooba would no longer be a part of THE COLOR PURPLE production after homophobia backlash, when a social media post from Seyi years before was discovered saying she did “not believe homosexuality is right”.
Today it has been announced that T’Shan Williams is set to take on the role of Celie in this production and first images have been released.
The regional UK premiere will play at Curve, Leicester from 28th June – 13th July, followed by 16th – 20th July at Birmingham Hippodrome, with a national press night at Curve on Wednesday 3rd July at 7pm.
T’Shan Williams joins the cast as heroine Celie. T’Shan’s previous credits include Heather Duke in Heathers The Musical (Theatre Royal, Haymarket & The Other Palace); Caroline, or Change (Hampstead Theatre) and Queen in The Life (Southwark Playhouse) for which she won the Off-West End award for Best Female in a Musical.
She joins the previously announced cast including Joanna Francis as Shug Avery, Ako Mitchell as Mister, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Mister’s son Harpo, Karen Mavundukure as his wife Sophia, Danielle Fiamanya as Celie’s sister Nettie and Delroy Brown as Pa.
The cast is completed by Geoff Aymer, Owen Chaponda, Perola Congo, KM Drew Boateng, Danielle Kassaraté, Anelisa Lamola, Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy, Landi Oshinowo and Jo Servi.
Directed by Tinuke Craig, The Color Purple is filled with a soul-raising musical score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues. The landmark musical, from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel, classic hit film and Tony Award-winning production on Broadway, follows heroine Celie as she discovers her own identity and power over the course of 40 years in 19th century southern America.
Photo: Pamela Raith
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