Richard Dempsey, Matthew Cutts & More Join Anna Francolini in VICTOR/VICTORIA at Southwark Playhouse; Full Cast Announced!

As rehearsals started today, final casting is confirmed for the major London production of the Broadway musical comedy, Victor/Victoria. Directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento, it will run for an 8-week season in The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, from Thursday October 25 - Saturday December 15. Press night is Thursday 1 November at 7.30pm.

Joining the previously announced Anna Francolini in the twin lead roles of Victoria Grant and Count Victor Grazinski are: Michael Cotton, Mark Curry, Matthew Cutts, Richard Dempsey, Dafydd Gwyn Howells, Luke Johnson, Natalie Kent, Ashley Knight, Amira Matthews, Kate?Nelson, Matthew Pennington, Jean Perkins, Kayleigh Ross, Nick Stuart.

Richard Dempsey (Toddy) has just playEd Cambridge in Henry V and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale for Ed Hall’s Propellor company on a world tour. He also played Titania in A MIdsummer Night’s Dream and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice, also for Propellor, His many musical theatre credits include Neil in Dirty Dancing, Jack in Into the Woods and Nick in Fame, all in the West End, Ugly Duckling in Honk! at The National Theatre, Elephant’s?Child in Just So at Chichester and Gerald Bolingbroke in Me and My Girl at the Crucible, Sheffield,

New Zealander Matthew Cutts, who plays American mobster King Marchand, has had featured roles in several major West End musicals, including Rusty and Greaseball in Starlight Express, Monty in Saturday Night Fever, Munkustrap in Cats and Kenicke in Grease, as well as Miss Saigon in Australia.

Based on the 1982 Julie Andrews/Blake Edwards Hollywood movie, Victor/Victoria has a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and additional musical material (music and lyrics) by Frank Wildhorn. Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli and Raquel Welch all starred as Victor/Victoria on Broadway, where the show ran for more than 700 performances. Victor/Victoria is set in Paris in the 1930s. Victoria, a penniless, starving British soprano with an amazing vocal range, is rescued by Toddy, a performer at night club Chez Lui, who comes up with the crazy idea to disguise her as a man called Count Victor Grazinski and become the toast of Gay Paree as the world's greatest female impersonator... But things get complicated when King Marchand, an American mobster from Chicago and very straight, sees the celebrated act and finds himself strangely attracted to Victor.

The venue’s seating is being configured with cabaret-style tables placed near the stage. The price of these reserved cabaret seats will include a glass of champagne, and people sitting there will really feel part of the action in the night club Chez Lui where the the show is set.

Director Thom Southerland was longlisted Best Newcomer in the 2011 Evening Standard Awards for Parade. He was named Best Director at the 2011 The Offies - Off West End Theatre Awards - for Me and Juliet at the Finborough. He directed the European premiere of I Sing!, Divorce Me, Darling!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game and sold-out all-male adaptations of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore and The Mikado (Union); Noel and Gertie (Cockpit), the European premiere of The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Landor), Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam! (Upstairs at the Gatehouse) and the European premiere of State Fair (Finbourough and transfer to Trafalgar Studios).

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