GREASE New Casting Announcement

Carina Gillespie trained at the Liverpool Theatre School and made her professional stage debut as ‘Maria Elena’ in the hugely successful musical Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story (UK & Scandinavian tours). Her further theatre credits include the role of ‘Linda’ in Bloodbath- The Musical (Edinburgh Festival), written and directed by the television writer/producer Tony McHale, and ‘Princess Tamara’ in Jack in the Beanstalk (Regents Theatre, Ipswich). Carina’s other credits include performing as a regular session singer for ‘Love to Infinity Records’, releasing a single as a solo artist, appearing as a support act for ‘Basshunter’ (UK tour 2010) and as a dancer in numerous music videos. Matthew Goodgame made his professional and West End debut as ‘Billy Flynn’ in Chicago, after winning the highly popular Channel 4 series Musicality. His more recent theatre roles include ‘Munkustrap’ in Cats (Cologne and Frankfurt, Germany), ‘Ralph de Bricassart’ in the Wales Theatre Company production of The Thorn Birds- The Musical (UK tour), ‘Jordan’ and ‘Billy’ in Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre, London) and as a featured vocalist in The 12 Tenors (China tour). Matthew became leader of the T Birds gang ‘Danny Zuko’ when he took over the role in Grease on 27 September 2010. The couple will leave Grease audiences hopelessly devoted to their charms as they follow in the footsteps of screen idols John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John who famously played the roles of ‘Danny’ and ‘Sandy’ in the hit 1978 movie.

The new class of Rydell High 2011 enrolling from 24 January also includes David O’Reilly (‘Roger’), Michael Pickering (‘Doody’), Zoe Doano (‘Frenchy’), Matthew Russell-Jones (‘Eugene’), Nancy Hill ‘(Miss Lynch’) and Kristina MacMillan (‘Cha Cha’), with other parts played by the ensemble. Other cast members who will continue in their roles include Jamie Capewell (‘Kenickie’), Siubhan Harrison (‘Rizzo’), Bennett Andrews (‘Sonny’), Robyn Mellor (‘Marty’), Susannah Allman (‘Patty’) and Jason Capewell (Teen Angel/ Vince Fontaine), whilst Kerry Winter will stay with the show to take over the role of ‘Jan’. The class of 2011 are set to thrill audiences and leave everyone jiving in the aisles, when they rock’n’roll into Grease this January for the remainder of the show’s West End run.

Grease will end its triumphant West End run next spring prior to a UK tour. The show returned to London on 25 July 2007 (with a press night on 8th August) and since its premiere the feel-good audience favourite has played over 1,400 performances and has been seen by over 1¼million theatregoers at the Piccadilly Theatre, where it is the longest running production in the venue’s history.

Grease will close on 30 April 2011 after nearly four great years in the West End and will immediately begin a national tour opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 6 May 2011 with subsequent and confirmed venues in Milton Keynes, Bradford, Southampton, Oxford, Cardiff, Dublin, Torquay, Manchester and Birmingham. Further tour details and casting will be announced.

Producer David Ian says: “This has been the 4th London run in seventeen years for this amazing production and the longest ever running show at The Piccadilly Theatre. Now we’re taking everyone’s favourite show right across the UK on its greatest tour ever – Grease is indeed the word!!”  

Since breaking out on Broadway in 1972, Grease’s place has been firmly established in the cultural Hall of Fame, having seduced the hearts of millions with its back-to-back sizzling tunes. The show features all the unforgettable songs from the hit film including ‘You’re The One That I Want’, ‘Grease Is The Word’, ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, ‘Sandy’, ‘Greased Lightnin’ and many more.

Voted the “No 1 Greatest Musical”*, Grease has proved that a musical love story, bursting with denim, cheerleaders, slick hairstyles, rock’n’roll, teenage angst and young romance is timeless and universal.

This production originally opened in the West End in 1993 (co-produced with Robert Stigwood) where it enjoyed a fantastic run of 6 years. The last international tour of Grease was a phenomenal success, playing to sell-out audiences and smashing records at many venues. Since 1993 the show has been seen by audiences totalling over 10 million people in the UK alone. Last year, a second production played in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Auckland and Hong Kong.

Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, directed by David Gilmore (Daisy Pulls It Off, Happy Days, Song & Dance, Footloose) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance The Musical & BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing), Grease is produced in the West End by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.