‘We Will Rock You’ Cast Announced
Jonathan Wilkes, Kevin Kennedy, Brenda Edwards, Georgina Hagen and Ashley Russell to star in record -breaking musical!
Birmingham Hippodrome
Wednesday 1 July – Saturday 5 September
Actor and musician Jonathan Wilkes and former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy, will star in this year’s WE WILL ROCK YOU UK Tour. They will appear in the smash-hit QueenBen Elton and musical alongside X Factor finalist Brenda Edwards, star of ITV1’s Britannia High Georgina Hagen and I’d Do Anything’s Nancy contestant Ashley Russell.
The eagerly anticipated production can be seen at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 1 July until Saturday 5 September 2009.
Jonathan Wilkes will perform the role of ‘Khashoggi’, the Chief of the Secret Police who answers to Killer Queen’s every command, whilst soap star Kevin Kennedy will assume the role of ‘Pop’, a librarian who is stuck in his ‘hippie’ past and is searching to find answers to the end of rock music. Brenda Edwards will play the domineering role of ‘Killer Queen’, Head of Globalsoft, the corporation responsible for the banning of all instruments and musical originality. TV star Georgina Hagen will star in the production as ‘Meat’, the main female of the Bohemians and Ashley Russell, will play the role of the ‘Teacher’, who befriends students whilst actually working as a spy for Globalsoft’s Secret Police.
Speaking about the tour, Jonathan Wilkes commented, “I am chuffed to be part of this show and very excited to be working with such a fantastic company”.
Kevin Kennedy is equally as enthusiastic, “I am over the moon at the prospect of appearing in We Will Rock You. Queen have always been my idols and I have seen the show every time I have been down to London never dreaming that one day I would play Pop”.
Queen’s Brian May said: “We are excited to be able, finally, to send a brand new top class WWRY company out on tour around the UK. We are completely hands on, and will be visiting! The Mother Ship, in the Dominion Theatre, London, will be rockin' on all the while, keeping the home fires burning, until further notice!”
Writer Ben Elton has fashioned a hilarious futurist comedy featuring more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs delivered in a show that boasts the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances. With the London production alone having been seen by close on 4 million people, played over 2300 performances, and grossed more than £100 million at the box office, “We Will Rock You” is well on the way to becoming one of the most successful rock musicals ever.
WE WILL ROCK YOU is written and directed by Ben Elton, Arlene Phillips continues in the role of Musical Staging and Choreography and Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor are music supervisors. The show also brings together a production and design team behind some of the biggest international theatre productions and rock tours. Production designers Mark Fisher and Willie Williams have created set designs for Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, and the acclaimed multi-media shows for U2. Costume Designer Tim Goodchild has already achieved three Olivier Awards for his work in the West End. Choreographer Arlene Phillips has shown her distinctive style in some of the biggest stage musicals of the past two decades, including Starlight Express, Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Bobby Aitken (Grease and Mamma Mia!) is Sound Designer.
WE WILL ROCK YOU is a Phil McIntyre Entertainment / Queen Theatrical Productions / Tribeca Production and will be at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 1st July – Saturday 5th September.
Performances: Eves Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Wed mat 2pm; Sat mat 2.30pm.
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