The production is a follow up to Doyle's Watermill, West End and Tony-winning New York production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd.

The Sondheim (music and lyrics) and George Furth (book) musical tells the story of composer Franklin Shepard, who sold out to commercialism and in the process destroyed his relationship with his lyricist and film-critic friend.

The plot is told in reverse, starting at the end and ending at the beginning when the three friends meet for the first time.

The full cast for the production includes Emma Correlle (plays Meg), Joanna Hickman (Beth), Rebecca Jackson (Gussie), Sam Kenyon (Frank), Michele Long (KT), Michael Lovatt (Ru), Elizabeth Marsh (Mary), Thomas Padden (Charley), Matthew Rutherford (Tyler), Simon Tuck (Jerome), Steve Watts (Scotty and Mr. Spencer) and Johnson Willis (Joe).

In a statement released when the production was announced, Doyle paid tribute to the Watermill's late founder and director Jill Fraser, who died in 2006. "It is two years since Jill Fraser asked me if I would do one more musical at the Watermill. I promised I would. Much has changed, of course, in those two years, but I wanted to keep my promise to Jill." Doyle's production of the Harvey Fierstein-John Bucchino musical, A Catered Affair, begins previews on Broadway in March.

Merrily We Roll Along is based on an original play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart. Harold Prince's world premiere production of the musical closed after just 16 regular performances on Broadway.

In the U.K. the show was mounted at the Haymarket, Leicester, starring Maria Friedman, where it ran for three weeks and was last seen in London at Michael Grandage's Donmar in 2005 with a cast led by Julian Ovenden, Daniel Evans and Samantha Spiro.

For more on Merrily We Roll Along, which is booking until March 8, visit www.watermill.org.uk.