The rave-reviewed Chichester Festival Theatre production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific - opening its much anticipated UK tour at the Manchester Opera House (July 16-23) - will again star Downton Abbey’s Julian Ovenden as Emile and Gina Beck as Nellie.
They will be joined by the other principal members of the original Chichester company - Rob Houchen as Lieutenant Cable, Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary and Sera Maehara as Liat.
Chichester’s artistic director Daniel Evans will again direct as they all reprise the roles they played to enormous critical and audience acclaim at Chichester last summer.
The powerful love story, set on a South Pacific Island during World War ll, has a cast of over 30 and a full orchestra, and boasts one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most memorable scores, including Some Enchanted Evening, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair and Bali Ha’i.
Julian Ovenden is perhaps best known for playing Charles Blake in ITV’s Downton Abbey. He is also an international recording artist and has starred on Broadway and in the West End. On Broadway he was in Showboat with the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Centre. He has also performed at several of the BBC Proms and played Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music Live on ITV.
Gina Beck’s many West End theatre credits include Matilda, Show Boat, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. Her TV includes Doctors, The Return of Sherlock Holmes and The Crush.
After Manchester, South Pacific has a London season at Sadler’s Wells July 27-August 28 before a national tour that includes Leeds Grand (November 1-5).
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