Final casting announced for Gypsy at Buxton Opera House

Set to the one of the highlights of this year’s BIF, Gypsy will open on Thursday July 7, and follows on from the huge success of A Little Night Music at last year’s festival.

Award-winning actor Joanna Riding has also been announced for the role of Rose in the production, which will be directed by Paul Kerryson, Chief Executive of Buxton Opera House.

Joanna will now be joined by Monique Young, as Louise aka Gypsy Rose Lee. Monique has appeared numerous hit musicals including Mary Poppins in the West End and 42nd Street at the Theatre du Chatelet, Paris.

Also appearing are: David Leonard as Herbie. David appeared as Frederik in A Little Night Music in Buxton and recent appearances include Matilda (RSC in London),The Pitmen Painters (Royal National Theatre) and Billy Flynn in Chicago (Leicester Curve). Hannah Everest plays June. Her appearances include The Sound of Music, Annie and Oliver! (Leicester Curve). Rebecca Lisewski is Mazeppa. Her many West End appearances include Mamma Mia! Carousel and Strictly Ballroom. She is joined by Aiesha Naomi Pease (Hairspray and Priscilla Queen of the Desert), as Electra and Tiffany Graves, ( Kiss Me Kate, The Producers and The Boyfriend), as Tessie Tura. Liam Dean is Tulsa and James Rockey is Uncle Jocko.

Other roles are played by Michael Dean-Wilson; Lisa Dent; Callum Mann; Alex O’Reilly; Megan Hollie Robertson and Samuel Ashall.

Paul Kerryson, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Buxton Opera House, said: “The Buxton Opera House and Buxton International Festival join forces again to bring this great musical to the stage of the Opera House for the first time. We are excited to welcome audiences to what will be a great night out.”

Buxton International Festival’s Artistic Director Adrian Kelly added: “It is particularly exciting that the festival’s collaboration with the Buxton Opera House is continuing this year with Gypsy. The last few years have been hugely challenging for everybody in the performing arts, and we are delighted to be working together once more, to be bring this wonderful piece of musical theatre to life.”

The creative team is: Director, Paul Kerryson; Conductor, Ben Atkinson; Choreographer, David Needham; Assistant Director, Juliet Gough; Set Designer, Phil R Daniels; Costume Designer, Charles Cusick Smith; Lighting Designer, Jake Wiltshire; and Sound Design by Andy Johnson.