Disney's Frozen announces West End cast and new opening date

The latest Disney musical will now open in April 2021 due to Covid shutdown.

UPDATE: Frozen has now postponed its opening date from 2 April, with new dates to be announced. For more information, read here. 

Disney's Frozen the Musical has announced the complete cast line-up who will join the previously announced stars Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon in the show. Disney also announced that the hotly anticipated musical will delay its West End opening by six months due to the ongoing Covid-19 shutdown. The production will now open at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 14 April with preview performances from 2 April.

Joining Barks and McKeon (who will play the sisters Elsa and Anna respectively) are Obioma Ugoala (Hamilton) as Kristoff, Oliver Ormson (Back to the Future the Musical) as Hans, Craig Gallivan (School of Rock) as Olaf, and Richard Frame (The Lion King) as Weselton. Mikayla Jade and Ashley Birchall will alternate the role of the reindeer Sven. The cast also features Jeremy Batt, Cameron Burt, Lauren Chia, Laura Emmitt, Emily-Mae, Danielle Fiamanya, Hannah Fairclough, Matt Gillett, Joe Griffiths-Brown, Emily Lane, Justin-Lee Jones, Jason Leigh Winter, Jacob Maynard, Leisha Mollyneaux, Gabriel Mokake, Sarah O'Connor, Jemma Revell, Jacqui Sanchez, Jak Skelly, Jake Small, Isabel Snaas, Joshua St. Clair, Monica Swayne, and Anna Woodside.

"We're thrilled to announce the full company for Frozen - an incredibly talented group of people who will be creating the London premiere at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane next spring," director Michael Grandage said. "As theatres start to open their doors again, we look forward to celebrating the spectacle of this beloved story with audiences everywhere."

Adapted from the 2013 animated feature film of the same name, Frozen the Musical premiered on Broadway in 2018, shortly followed by a U.S. tour. It features a score by Kristin Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and a book by Jennifer Lee, all of whom worked on the feature film.

Frozen the Musical will be the first production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane since its extensive renovation. Estimated to cost £60 million, the overhaul of the historic theatre will include improved access facilities including lifts, reconfiguration of the auditorium to allow for greater comfort and better sightlines, in addition to new bars, restaurants and cafes which will make the theatre accessible to the pubic all day. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is owned and managed by LW Theatres.

Patrons with pre-existing bookings for Frozen will automatically be transferred to a new performance date with the same seats, and notified via email. If the new date is not suitable, they will have the option to either request an alternative date or a full refund.