'High School Musical' Announces Full UK Tour Cast & Schedule

Disney's High School Musical will embark on its first ever UK theatre tour, through towns and cities across Britain throughout 2008.

The producers announce the full cast for the show, which opens at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on 24 January 2008, as well as additional dates to the tour, booked due to huge public demand.

For booking details, venue information, additional dates and lots of fun facts go to HighSchoolMusicalOnStage.co.uk

The leading roles of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are played by Ashley Day (On The Town and Mary Poppins) and Lorna Want (Les Miserables and Evita) respectively.  Ruling drama queen Sharpay and her faithful brother and sidekick Ryan will be played by Helen George and Lee Honey-Jones and the principal cast is completed by Carlton Connell as Chad, Hannah Levane as Taylor, Claire Machin, Mark Dickinson, Cathryn Davis, Jennifer Tanarez, Richard Vincent and Dominic Tribuzio.

The cast also includes Ashley Andrews, Drew Campbell, Matthew Cheney, Dan Cooke, Lewis Greenslade, Natalie Hope, Mark Hilton, Robert Jones, Sarah Kitson, Richard Leeson, Buchi Osuji, Simone Palmer, Soeli Parry, Tania Pieri, Jessica Phillips, David Purdue, Amy Ross, Bonnie Laura Smith and Charlotte Walcotte.

Also announced today are the following additional touring dates: Oxford, Canterbury, Northampton, Belfast, Crawley, Aberdeen, Plymouth, Cardiff and Leeds.  A total of 28 venues will now be visited on the tour with further dates likely to be announced soon.

This new stage adaptation of the hit musical Disney Channel Original Movie features a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini), and a score including all songs from the original chart-topping soundtrack, including the UK hit singles "Breaking Free" and "We're All In This Together," plus two new numbers.  The production will be directed by Jeff Calhoun, whose credits include the award-winning Broadway revivals of Grease and Big River.

The creative team includes Choreographer Lisa Stevens, Scenic Designer Kenneth Foy, Costume Designer Wade Laboissonniere, Lighting Designer Ken Billington, Sound Designer Rick Clarke and music producer Bryan Louiselle.

"High School Musical is a contemporary musical comedy about Troy, a popular high school basketball star, and Gabriella, a shy, academically gifted newcomer, who discover they share a secret passion for singing.  When they sign up to audition together for the lead roles in the school musical it threatens East High's established pecking order and sends their cliques into uproar.  In an attempt to maintain the status quo, the 'jocks' and 'brainiacs', and even the drama club regulars, are soon hatching crazy plans to separate the pair and keep them offstage.  Defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, and each other, the couple inspire the other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own," explain press notes.

First broadcast in 2006 the Original Disney Channel Movie, soundtrack album, and other High School media have gone on to create a global entertainment phenomenon with children and their families across the world falling in love with the kids from East High.  The sequel, High School Musical 2, broke TV viewing records in both the US and UK when broadcast earlier this year.

TOUR SCHEDULE:

Bromley
Churchill Theatre
24 January – 2 February 2008

Stoke-on-Trent
Regent Theatre
4 – 9 February 2008

Norwich
Theatre Royal
11 – 16 February 2008

Edinburgh
Edinburgh Playhouse
19 February – March 1 2008

York
Grand Opera House
3 – 8 March 2008

Wolverhampton
Grand Theatre
10 – 15 March 2008

Woking
New Victoria Theatre
17 – 29 March 2008

Leicester
De Montfort Hall
31 March – 5 April 2008

Southend-on-Sea
Cliffs Pavillion
7 – 12 April 2008

Nottingham
Royal Concert Hall
14 – 19 April 2008

Bradford
Alhambra Theatre
21 – 26 April 2008

Southampton
Mayflower Theatre
28 April – 10 May 2008

Hull
New Theatre
19 – 24 May 2008

Birmingham
Hippodrome
26 May – 7 June 2008

Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes Theatre
9 – 14 June 2008

Wimbledon
New Wimbledon Theatre
16 – 21 June 2008

Manchester
Palace Theatre
23 June – 5 July 2008

Bristol
Bristol Hippodrome
7 – 19 July 2008

Newcastle
Theatre Royal
21 July – 2 August 2008

Glasgow
King's Theatre
4 – 16 August 2008

Oxford
New Theatre
25 – 30 August 2008

Liverpool
Empire Theatre
1 – 13 September 2008

Canterbury
Marlowe Theatre
22 – 27 September 2008

Northampton
Derngate Theatre
29 September – 4 October 2008

Belfast
Opera House
6 – 11 October 2008

Aberdeen
His Majesty's Theatre
21 October – 1 November 2008

Plymouth
Theatre Royal
4 – 15 November 2008

Cardiff
Wales Millennium Centre
17 – 22 November 2008

Leeds
Grand Theatre
24 November – 6 December 2008