Carrie Bawden and Declan Bennett to lead Regent's Park Open Air production of 'Carousel'

Joanna Riding, John Pfumojena, and Natasha May Thomas will also join the principal cast of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has announced initial principal casting for the production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, which will run at the theatre 31 July - 25 September. 

Carrie Bawden and Declan Bennett will star as Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow, the story's central, conflicted lovers. Joanna Riding will play Nettie Fowler, who sings the rousing "June Is Busting Out All Over," while John Pfumojena will play Enoch Snow and Natasha May Thomas will play Louise Bigelow, marking her professional debut. 

Brendan Charleson plays Mr Bascombe, Jo Eaton-Kent as Mrs Mullin, Sam Mackay as Jigger Craigin, Ediz Mahmut as Young Enoch and Christina Modestou as Carrie Pipperidge. The ensemble is completed by Chanelle Anthony, Craig Armstrong, William Atkinson, Shay Barclay, Sarah Benbelaid, Madeline Charlemagne, Freya Field, Sebastian Goffin, Amie Hibbert, Tim Hodges, Lukas Hunt, Tessa Kadler, Lindsay McAllister, Matthew McKenna, Jack Mitchell, Charlotte Riby, Lisa Ritchie and Daisy West.

"As with our previous reimagining of classic musicals, I am excited to remove the rose-tinted specs and examine this amazing piece through a 2021 lens," artistic director Timothy Sheader, who also directs this production, said in a statement. "With new orchestrations by Tom Deering and Drew McOnie's distinctive choreographic language rethinking the role of dance in the storytelling, we look forward to inviting a new audience to Carousel. It's also important to us that, because of the story and content of Carousel, we are able to support the vital work of Refuge."

Refuge is an organization dedicated to protecting women from domestic violence, a theme of the musical.

Bawden was last seen in Romantics Anonymous at Bristol Old Vic, while Bennett is making his return to the Open Air Theatre after playing Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar last summer. Riding recently played Sally in Follies at the National and also appeared in Romantics Anonymous. John Pfumojena appeared in Do You Love Me Yet? at the Oxford Playhouse.

Carousel is at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre from 31 July - 25 September.

Find out more about Carousel at the Open Air Theatre tickets here.

Article Updated: 17 June 2021