Helena Blackman, Alastair Brookshaw, Fra Fee & Pete Gallagher to Lead A WINTER'S TALE at Landor Theatre; Full Cast Announced!

Arion Productions Ltd have announced the full cast for the professional world premiere of A Winter's Tale, a brand new British musical at the Landor Theatre, this November, including Helena Blackman, Alastair Brookshaw, Fra Fee, Pete Gallagher and a host of recognisable West End alumni.

Helena Blackman will be playing the role of Paulina. Helena is best known for being the runner up in the BBC television series, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for Maria Von Trap for the West End revival of the musical The Sound Of Music. She was nominated for a TMA award for best supporting actor for her role as Nellie Forbush in the UK number one tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific as well as being nominated for an Off West End Award for her portrayal of Gertrude Lawrence in Noel and Gertie. Other credits include Saturday Night, where she starred as leading lady Helen Fogel. Helena has performed and worked with composers Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stiles & Drewe, Kander & Ebb and Charles Miller, has sung for the Gershwin and David Heneker families, appeared on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night as well as featured on countless albums and recordings.

Alastair Brookshaw plays Polixines. Alastair is best known for playing the lead role of Leo Frank in last years critically acclaimed production of Parade at the Southwark Playhouse. Other notable productions include Bed and Sofa at the Finborough Theatre, Cabaret by Kander and Ebb, Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre), The Hot Mikado (Watermill Theatre) and Notes from New York amongst many others.

Fra Fee plays Florizel. Fra is one of the most exciting young musical theatre performers currently working in the industry. He has just finished appearing in Les Miserables understudying and playing Marius and Enjorlas in the West End. He recently transferred those skills from stage to the big screen, soon to be playing Courfeyrac in the new film version of Les Miserables soon to be shown in cinemas worldwide. Other notable appearances include Billy in Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre), Schlomo (RTE Television) and Aaron in the Silas Marner extracts recently performed at the St. James Theatre; also by Howard Goodall.

Leading the company will be well established musical theatre performer Pete Gallagher as the tyrannical King Leontes. Pete has recently finished playing Caiaphas in the arena tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and recently played Reed in the critically acclaimed production of The Fix at the Union Theatre. Other notable credits include playing Jud Fry in Julian Woolford's production of Oklahoma!, Jerry in Howard Pinter's Betrayal, Victor Fleming in Moonlight & Magnolias and The Pirates of Penzance (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Dr. Dolittle (Hammersmith Apollo), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Regents Park) as well as The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz and many others iconic musical productions.

The cast will also included a phenomenal line up of established and up-and-coming professionals such as Helen Power as Ekatarina (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sunset Boulevard, The Blonde Bombshells of 1943), Christopher Blades as Camillo (The Phantom of The Opera, The Sound of Music, Jekyll & Hyde), Abigail Matthews as Perdita (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Hired Man, Evita), Ross Barnes as Antigonus (Carousel, Little Shop of Horrors, Children of Eden), Catherine Mort as Emilia (The Hired Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Welsh Musical Theatre Singer of the Year 2009), Gareth James Healey as Zeki (A Man of No Importance, A Fetus in America, Don Diovanni), Denis Delahunt as Melik (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Twelth Night, Measure for Measure), Ciaran Joyce as Rob Autolycus (Torchwood, Les Miserables, The Story of Tracy Beaker), Rachael-Louise Miller (The Cradle Will Rock, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) with David Brewis, Joe McCourt, Lauren McGloan, Matthew Ronchetti and Raymond Walsh.

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