It will launch at Leicester's Curve Theatre in late summer 2014, and will star Brian Conley in the title role, played at Chichester by Broadway's Christopher Fitzgerald.

The production, which was directed at Chichester by Timothy Sheader, opened at Chichester's state-of-the-art Theatre in the Park in July this year, and played to almost 70,000 people. The tour will be co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Harrison.

The musical follows the irrepressible imagination and dreams of Phineas T. Barnum, America's Greatest Showman. The story of his life and his marriage to Chairy reveals a couple who looked at the world from opposite sides of the spectrum, and also reveals that she was the practical one who made Barnum's dreams come true. According to press materials, the production follows the legendary showman's life as he lit up the world with the color, warmth and excitement of his imagination and finally teamed up with J. A. Bailey to create Barnum and Bailey's Circus – the Greatest Show on Earth.

Conley was most recently onstage as Fagin in the national tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver! West End stage credits include Edna Turnblad in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, as well as Al Jolson in Jolson at the Victoria Palace for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

On television, he is probably best known for playing Doug Digby in "The Grimleys," his ITV1 show "The Brian Conley Show" and "An Audience with Brian Conley," as well as numerous Royal Variety Performances. Further details, including tour dates, are still to be announced.