Once cast update - Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitesic

Casting has been announced for the Tony award winning musical Once, which opens at the West End's Phoenix Theatre on 9 April 2013, following previews from 16 March, booking to 30 Nov 2013.

Declan Bennett (Guy), Zrinka Cvitesic (Girl), Valda Aviks (Baruska), Ryan Fletcher (Svec), Aidan Kelly (Billy), Gareth O' Connor (Eamon), Michael O' Connor (Da) , Miria Parvin (Ex Girlfriend), Jos Slovick (Andre), Flora Spencer-Longhurst (Reza), Jez Unwin (Bank Manager), Gabriel Vick (Emcee). (Alternating the role of Girl's young daughter Ivanka will be Poppy-Lily Baker, Mia-Jai Bryan, Pacha Anna Green and Nancy Ann Jeans.)

Directed by John Tiffany, music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, with book by Enda Walsh. Based on the motion picture written by John Carney.

It has designs & costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Clive Goodwin. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Lowe and movement is by Steven Hoggett.

When an Irish busker and a young Czech mother meet through a shared love of music, their songwriting sparks a deep connection and a tender, longing romance that neither of them could have expected.

Actor singer songwriter Declan Bennett has appeared on Broadway and in the West End. His theatre credits include Rent and American Idiot on Broadway, Taboo at the Venue Theatre. He was as a member of the band Point Break, following this he released his first solo album The Painters Ball in 2005. Bennett's most recent album Record: Breakup was released in April 2011 preceded by An Innocent Evening of Drinking in 2008.

Croatian born Zrinka Cvitesic, a theatre, film and television actor, has been a member of the Croatian National Theatre since 2005. For her performance in What is a Man Without a Moustache? she won several awards including The Heart of Sarajevo Award and Best Actress Awards at the Sarajevo Film Festival, the Golden Arena Festival and the Pula Film Festival. For her performance as Luna in On the Path she was named the Croatian Shooting Star at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival and also received a nomination in the Best Actress category at the 2010 European Film Awards. Her other film credits include The Horseman and most recently she won the Bernhard Wicki Award for Best Actress at the 2012 Munich Film Festival for her role in My Beautiful Country.