They will respectively play Dorothy Brock and Julian Marsh, the leading lady and director of the musical within-the-musical. The cast will also feature Lauren Hall as Peggy Sawyer, the newcomer who goes out a youngster and comes back a star when Dorothy Brock is indisposed, Louise Plowright as Maggie Jones and Steven Houghton as Pat Denning.
Also in the company are Karen Aspinall, Oliver Brenin, Alan Burkitt, Matthew Cheney, Lisa Dent, Lisa Donmall, Luke Fetherston, Steve Fortune, Jane Fowler, Lauren Hall, Chris Howell, Lucinda Lawrence, David Lucas, Matthew Malthouse, Peter McCarthy, Kate Nelson, Pippa Raine, Nancy Wei George, Jason Winter and Gary Wood. The production is directed by Paul Kerryson, with choreography by Andrew Wright, set designs by Ashley Martin-Davis, costume designs by Goerge Souglides, lighting by Chris Ellis, sound by Matt McKenzie and musical direction by Julian Kelly.
42nd Street, which features music by Harry Warren, lyrics by AL Dubin and a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, is based on the 1933 film that starred Ruby Keeler as Peggy Sawyer. It was adapted into a Tony winning Broadway musical of the same name that David Merrick first produced in 1981 at the Winter Garden Theatre, subsequently transferring during its run of eight-and-a-half years to the Majestic and St James Theatres. A revival in 2001 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (as it then was, now the Hilton) ran for 1,524 performances, through 2005. 42nd Street was first seen in the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1984, where it ran up until 1989.
Flavin has previously been seen at Chichester in My One and Only that subsequently transferred to the West End's Piccadilly Theatre (where he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical), and in Divorce Me, Darling. He was first seen on the London stage when he became the first American to receive an Olivier Award for his performance as Junior in the London bow of the import of the Broadway revival of On Your Toes to the Palace Theatre in 1984. Other West End credits include taking over in Crazy for You, and touring productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Singin' in the Rain. As director and choreographer, his productions include Me and My Girl, Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors and Stepping Out.
Evans was last seen in the West End playing Norma Desmond in John Doyle's production of Sunset Boulevard that transferred from Newbury's Watermill Theatre to the Comedy Thetare, for which she was nominated for both the Olivier and TMA Awards. Other West End credits include taking over the title role in the original production of Evita, as well as productions of The Pirates of Penzance, Aspects of Love, Mack and Mabel and Anything Goes. Director Paul Kerryson is artistic director of Leicester's Curve Theatre, where his credits include directing the European premiere of Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza. Prior to this, he was artistic director of Leicester's Haymarket Theatre, where he originated productions that included The Rink and Mack and Mabel that subsequently transferred to the West End. He is also well known for regional productions of Stephen Sondheim's work at Manchester's Library Theatre and Leicester's Haymarket Theatre, where he has variously staged Merrily We Roll Along, Pacific Overtures, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music.
To book tickets, contact the box office on 01243 781312, or visit www.cft.org.uk
