Casting announced for The View Upstairs at Soho Theatre

Initial casting has been announced for The View Upstairs, a new musical receiving its UK premiere at Soho Theatre later this year.

Written by Max Vernon, the musical sees a young fashion designer who buys an abandoned space in New Orleans which he later realises was an iconic 1970s gay bar which was burned down in an arson attack in 1973. Wes sets about using the space to bring the forgotten space back to life.

John Partridge, Declan Bennett, Andy Mientus and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt will star in the musical when it runs at Soho Theatre from 18^th July to 24^th August, with an official opening on 23^rd July.

Andy Mientus makes his UK theatre debut in the musical, and has starred in productions of Les Miserables and Spring Awakening, as well as the NBC musical series Smash, while John Partridge's recent UK stage credits include a UK tour of La Cage aux Folles and his own one-man show Stripped.

Declan Bennett has starred in the London productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Once and American Idiot, while Victoria Hamilton-Barritt has appeared in The Wild Party, Murder Ballad and In the Heights.  

The cast also includes Cedric Neal (Motown), Carly Mercedes Dyer (Hadestown), Gary Lee (Flashdance), Joseph Prouse (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and Derek Hagen (The Twilight Zone). Casting for the role of Wes is yet to be announced.

The View Upstairs is at Soho Theatre from 18^th July to 24^th August.