Casting announced for Live Aid musical 'Just For One Day'

The musical tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia in 1985, featuring the music of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and more.

Casting has been announced for the West End transfer of Just For One Day, which opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 15 May.

The musical, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia in 1985, features the music of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and others. The show had its world premiere at the Old Vic in January 2024.

Joining the previously announced Craige Els, who originated the role of Bob Geldof at The Old Vic, will be Kelly Agbowu, Julie Atherton, Jason Battersby, Jordan Cambridge-Taylor, Eloise Davies, James Hameed, Fayth Ifil, Melissa Jacques, Hope Kenna, AJ Lewis, Freddie Love, Tim Mahendran, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, Jack Michael Stacey, Emily Ooi, Ashley Samuels, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Jake Small, Tamara Tare and George Ure, with Kerry Enright, Evan Fox Harrison, Esme Laudat, Eddie Mann, Jaye Marshall, Lukin Simmonds, and Dyd Wynford.

In a review for LondonTheatre.co.uk, our critic said of the Old Vic premiere: "It's a blisteringly good time, thanks to one of the best back catalogues available to any jukebox musical. Some songs further the plot: Queen’s 'Radio Ga Ga' soundtracks Geldof’s bid to get his single on the radio; an exhausted Amara sings Bob Dylan’s 'Blowin’ in the Wind'; and, most hauntingly, Geldof’s horror at witnessing the famine deaths first-hand leads to a stirring rendition of Sting’s 'Message in a Bottle.'"

The creative team includes Director Luke Sheppard, Musical Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestration by Matthew Brind, Choreography by Ebony Molina, Set by Soutra Gilmour, Costume by Fay Fullerton, Lighting by Howard Hudson, Sound by Gareth Owen, and Video & Projection by Andrzej Goulding.

Book Just For One Day tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: the Old Vic cast of Just For One Day. (Photo courtesy of production)