"Jerry Springer the Opera" casting announced

Casting has been announced for Jerry Springer the Opera, which opens at the Lyttelton Theatre, NT on 29 Apr 03, following previews from 9 Apr 03, and booking to 5 Jul 03.

The cast includes Michael Brandon (Jerry), Andrew Bevis (Tremont ), Alison Jiear (Shawntell), Sally Bourne (Andrea ), Benjamin Lake (Dwight), Lore Lixenberg (Peaches), Wills Morgan (Montel) and Valda Aviks (Zandra).

Michael Brandon is best known for his role in the 80s TV series Dempsey and Makepeace. His theatre credits include "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?" with Al Pacino; "The Lady and The Clarinet" with Stockard Channing at the Long Wharf Theatre; and "Speed The Plow" with David Soul.

Andrew Bevis, has recently starred as 'Romeo' in "Romeo and Juliet - the Musical" at the Piccadilly Theatre.

The show also features Gordon Adams, Delroy Atkinson, David Bedella, Robert Bengtsson, Steve Bradford, Dale Branston, Gary Bryden, Natasha Cox, Marcus Cunningham, Hadrian Delacey, Nathan Dowling, Jonathan Glew, Rachel Johnson, Tania Mathurin, Samantha Mercer, Ryan Molloy, Jo Napthine, Kelly O'Leary, Alastair Parker, Guy Porrit, Janessa Qua, Brian Saccente, Gabriella Santinelli, Gayle Telfer Stevens, Lucy Vandi, Elen Mon Wayne, Annabelle Williams, Lynne Wilmot

Jerry Springer the Opera, the concert version of which was the hit at last years Edinburgh Fringe, has been chosen by incoming National Theatre Director, Nicholas Hytner to premiere as the first production at the Lyttelton Theatre in his opening season.

The creative team responsible for the development of the opera, which includes first time Director and Co-writer, Stewart Lee and Shockheaded Peter Designer, Julian Crouch are to be retained for this first full theatrical production.

It is both Creator/Composer Richard Thomas’s and the National Theatre’s first new opera.

The opera began its development as a public ‘scratch night’ at The Battersea Arts Centre in 2001, funded by Composer, Richard Thomas. It was developed through a subsequent series of public workshops which were seen by Nicholas Hytner, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and various Broadway producers and went on to be performed in concert at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.

In this production the National Theatre team, led by Nicholas Hytner, will collaborate with Allan McKeown (original producer of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and Comedy Producer Avalon (The Frank Skinner Show, Fantasy Football, The All New Harry Hill Show).

Jerry Springer the Opera, is a new opera based on America’s most lurid talk show and the US host who brought worldwide television audiences programmes entitled “Pregnant by a Transsexual”, “Here Come the Hookers” and “I Refuse to Wear Clothes.” Nicholas Hytner said: “I’ve followed the development of Jerry Springer – The Opera since I saw it in a workshop production at Battersea Arts Centre. It’s exactly the kind of work the National should be doing: bold, scabrous, funny and beautiful. I’m delighted to be working with Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee on their groundbreaking new opera.”