TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL new West End cast announced
by Best of Theatre Staff on Friday 28 February 2020, 12:53 pm in Cast Changes and Announcements
Aisha Jawando and Jammy Kasongo will lead the cast as Tina and Ike in TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL as the hit production enters its third year in the West End. Joining them and making her West End debut is Chanel Haynes as the alternate Tina.
Based on the life of legendary artist Tina Turner, over 200,000 new tickets are now on sale for TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL which is booking at the Aldwych Theatre to 23 January 2021.
Having originally played Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, Aisha Jawando who has been with the company since its world premiere in Spring 2018, will continue in the title role. Jammy Kasongo, who also was a member of original company and then played the roles of Richard and Raymond, steps up to play the role of Ike. Chanel Haynes will perform the iconic role of Tina at certain performances.
From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner didn’t just break the rules, she rewrote them. This new stage musical, presented in association with Tina Turner herself, reveals the untold story of a woman who dared to defy the bounds of her age, gender and race.
The critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in April 2018 in London and subsequently has broken all Box Office records at the Aldwych Theatre. The musical is now also playing on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, in Hamburg at the Stage Operettenhaus and at the Beatrix Theater in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Aisha Jawando’s London theatre credits include the title role in Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, The Life at Southwark Playhouse, Martha Reeves in the original London cast of Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Fela at the National Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and Soul Sister at the Savoy Theatre.
Jammy Kasongo’sother theatre credits include Grand Hotel at the Southwark Playhouse, Beautiful - The Carol King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre and Hair at The Vaults.
Chanel Haynes, who will make her London stage debut as the alternate Tina,was discovered by Quincy Jones while she was still a teenager and went on to become an original member and lead singer of the New Orleans-based group Trin-i-tee 5:7 selling over 2.5million albums worldwide and earning two Grammy nominations. At the 2008 Grammy Awards, she was part of the line-up with her band Trin-i-tee 5:7, which also included performances from Tina Turner, Beyoncé and Aretha Franklin. She made her musical theatre debut in 2014 at the Zach Theatre in Austin, Texas, where, in 2018, she won the B. Iden Payne Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
The full cast from 17 March 2020 comprises Aisha Jawando as Tina Turner, Jammy Kasongo as Ike Turner, Chanel Haynes who plays the role of Tina at some performances each week, Joe Evans as Record Producer Phil Spector and Lyricist Terry Britten, Irene Myrtle Forrester as Tina’s Grandmother GG, Francesca Jackson as Ike and Tina’s manager Rhonda Graam, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky as Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, Matt Mills as Tina’s father Richard Bullock, Posi Morakinyo as Tina’s first love Raymond Hill, Garmon Rhys as Tina’s Manager Roger Davies Joseph Richardson as record company Marketing Manager Erwin Bach and Lucy Vardi as Tina’s mother Zelma.
Ensemble members are Lori Barker and Daniella Bowen, Chris Grahamson who plays Carpenter, Paul Mukembo who plays Tina’s son Craig and Alex Okoampa who plays Tina’s son Ronnie, the Ikette’s are played by Samara Casteallo, Mia Musak and Anu Ogunmefun and swings Derek Aidoo, Joshua Da Costa, Livvy Evans, Raquel Jones, DeeArna McLean, Saran Webb, Samuel J Weir and Michael Woolston-Thomas.
The children’s cast comprises Love-Joy Bacelar, ten years old from Islington, Perola Da Cunha,eleven years old from Hackney and Tia Murrell,eleven years old from Surrey who share the role of Young Anna Mae; Eden Anthony, eleven years old from Islington, Aurelia Hunt, eight years old from Havering and Naniyah Owusu,ten years old from Redbridge share the role of Young Alline; and Romell Barrocks-Bedeau,ten years old from Lambeth, Iesa Miller, nine years old from Redbridge and Rojae Simpson, nine old from Tower Hamlets share the role of Young Craig.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is choreographed by Anthony van Laast, with set and costume designs by Mark Thompson, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Bruno Poet,sound by Nevin Steinberg, projection design by Jeff Sugg and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner.