It was also at Northampton that Terry Johnson's production originated before its West End transfer to the Trafalgar Studios. This time, the production will continue after its Northampton run to tour to Norwich, Nottingham, Cardiff, Cambridge, Brighton, Newcastle, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Cheltenham, Bath, Sheffield and Richmond.

Set in London in December 1968, the play revolves around Judy Garland, who is about to make her comeback... again. Determined to reclaim her crown as the greatest talent of her generation, she battles with a tornado of drugs and alcohol and a gruelling schedule of exhausting concerts at The Talk Of The Town. Despite a series of failed marriages, Judy has her latest and youngest husband-to-be by her side, Mickey Deans (to be played by Norman Bowman), a man as determined as she that, at any cost, these concerts will mark the revival of her battered career.

Written by Peter Quilter and directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Terry Johnson (La Cage Aux Folles), End of the Rainbow features a six-piece onstage band and includes Garland’s most memorable songs – "The Man That Got Away," "Come Rain Or Come Shine," "The Trolley Song" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." The production was nominated for four Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, Best Sound Design, Best Actress for Tracie Bennett and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Hilton McRae, who will also reprise his role as Anthony (Garland's pianist) for the tour.

The tour is produced by Lee Dean, Jenny Topper, Laurence Myers, Charles Diamond, Hilary Williams, Pinstripe Productions in association with Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Bennett's extensive previous theatre credits include La Cage Aux Folles, Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables, Velma von Tussle in Hairspray and Ilona in She Loves Me, the latter two of which won her the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance. McRae's theatre credits include Caroline or Change at the National Theatre, Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon in London's West End and numerous roles with the RSC, on Broadway and in the U.K.

Bowman's theatre credits include Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls and Mamma Mia! in the West End as well as Parade and Twelfth Night, both for the Donmar Warehouse.

For further details on the tour, visit www.endoftherainbowtour.com.