Chichester Festival Theatre's THE PAJAMA GAME, Starring Hadley Fraser and Joanna Riding, Will Begin April 22

Distinguished director Richard Eyre returns to Chichester to open Festival 2013 with THE PAJAMA GAME. Love is in the air at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory as handsome new Superintendent Sid Sorokin falls head-over-heels for firebrand Union rep Babe Williams. But when the employees are refused a seven-and-a-half cents an hour raise, sparks fly and the couple find themselves deliciously at odds. Will love, eventually, conquer all in this delightful romantic comedy?

The Pajama Game includes the songs Hey There (You With The Stars In Your Eyes), Hernando's Hideaway and Steam Heat.

Hadley Fraser plays Sid Sorokin. His West End theatre includes LES MISERABLES, The Far Pavilions and The Fantasticks. Broadway theatre includes The Pirate Queen. Film credits include The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary and LES MISERABLES.

Joanna Riding plays Catherine 'Babe' Williams. Her theatre credits include National Theatre productions of A Little Night Music and Guys and Dolls, as well as My Fair Lady and Carousel; she won Olivier Awards for the latter two productions. West End credits include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Billy Elliot, The Witches of Eastwick and Blithe Spirit (also UK tour). Her television credits include the Sky comedy Stella.

Peter Polycarpou plays Vernon Hines. His Chichester credits include Sweeney Todd and Love Story, both of which transferred to the West End. Other credits include the West End productions of LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon and The Secret Garden, Oklahoma! for The National Theatre, and the popular BBC sitcom, Birds of a Feather.

The cast also includes Jenna Boyd, Dan Burton, Ricardo Coke-Thomas, Amy Griffiths, Richard Jones, Claire Machin, Eugene McCoy, Jo Morris, Sophia Nomvete, Landi Oshinowo, Alexis Owen Hobbs, Carl Sanderson, John Stacey, Colin Stinton and Lauren Varnham.

Richard Eyre directed The Last Cigarette for Chichester. He was Artistic Director of The National Theatre from 1988 - 1997 where his productions included Guys and Dolls, Racing Demon, Richard III, The Night of the Iguana and Skylight. He has recently directed Betty Blue Eyes and the current West End production of Quartermaine's Terms. Film and television credits include Notes on a Scandal, Stage Beauty, Iris, Comedians, Henry IV Parts I and II and Tumbledown.

Choreography is by Stephen Mear, whose Chichester credits include Kiss Me, Kate (which recently completed a season at The Old Vic), She Loves Me (which he also directed), The Music Man, Funny Girl and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. West End credits include Shoes, Mary Poppins, Hello, Dolly! and Crazy for You. Mear worked with Trevor Nunn on The National Theatre's 2002 production of Cole Porter's Anything Goes which transferred for an extended West End run.

Design is by Tim Hatley whose theatre credits include West End productions of Spamalot (also Broadway), Shrek the Musical (also Broadway and UK tour), Betty Blue Eyes (also US tour), Private Lives (for which he won Tony and Olivier Awards) and Humble Boy (for which he won an Olivier Award). He has designed over 20 productions for The National Theatre including Stanley (for which he won an Olivier Award), Henry V, Vincent in Brixton, Endgame and Mrs Klein. Film credits include Notes on a Scandal, Stage Beauty and Closer.

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