WE WILL ROCK YOU Launches Australian Tour in Sydney This Week

The new Australian production of the worldwide smash hit musical WE WILL ROCK YOU will explode onto the stage at the Sydney Lyric Theatre tomorrow night, Thursday 5 May at 8pm, officially commencing its new national tour.

Attending the Gala Opening Night will be producer John Frost, director Ben Elton, singers including Jessica Mauboy, (Little) Patti Amphlett, Doug Parkinson and John Paul Young; television stars Scott Cam, Danielle Cormack, Jonothan Coleman and Sarah Harris; actors Richard Roxburgh, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Marta Dusseldorp, Bonnie Sveen, Charlie Clausen, Michael Caton, Johnny Ruffo and Ryan Corr; and musical theatre performers Lucy Durack, Simon Burke and Ben Mingay, amongst others.

The Sydney Lyric Theatre season will continue until June 26, then the production travels to Brisbane's Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 10 July; then on to Melbourne's Regent Theatre from 30 August, Perth's Crown Theatre from November, then the Festival Theatre, Adelaide from January, 2017.

New tickets will be released for the Sydney season of WE WILL ROCK YOU on Monday 9 May.

Audiences have been giving preview performances standing ovations, and describing WE WILL ROCK YOU as "awesome", "epic", amazing", "fantastic" and "memorable." Writer Ben Elton said, "It's notoriously hard to get Australian audiences to their feet, but preview audiences have been rewarding this brilliant company with a full house standing ovation at every performance. The talent we have on stage in the cast and the band is second-to-none anywhere in the world. This is the first of a new generation of WE WILL ROCK YOU productions, and I couldn't be happier or more proud that it's originating here in Australia. I can't wait for Brian and Roger to come and see it."

WE WILL ROCK YOU stars Gareth Keegan (Jersey Boys) as Galileo, Erin Clare (Heathers) as Scaramouche, Casey Donovan (The Sapphires) as Killer Queen, Brian Mannix (Uncanny X-Men) as Buddy, Jaz Flowers (Hairspray) as Oz, Thern Reynolds (Rock of Ages) as Brit, and Simon Russell (ABC TV's Jack Irish) as Khashoggi.

Also in the cast are Justin Anderson, Sheridan Anderson, Erinn Arnel, Michelle Barr, Hugh Barrington, Kyla Bartholomeusz, Sarah Clarke, Keane Fletcher, Scott McConnell, Suzie Melloy, Ruvarashe Ngwenya, Morgan Palmer, Joshua Russell, Ryan Sheppard, Leigh Sleightholme, Ashlee Smith, Thalia Smith, Mike Snell, Kate Thomas, Karla Tonkich and Paul Watson.

The band is led by musical director Dave Skelton who also plays Keys 1. On guitars will be James Barber and Simon Croft, with Andrew Swann on drums, Mark Costa on bass, and James Mack on percussion. Also on keyboards will be Michael Azzopardi and Assistant Musical Director Tim Cunniffe.

Since 2002 over 16 million theatregoers in 28 countries have been thrilled by this awe-inspiring production which is based on the songs of Queen with a book by Ben Elton (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Popcorn). Elton fashioned this hilarious futurist comedy around more than 24 of Queen's biggest hit songs including We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, Somebody To Love, Killer Queen, Don't Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust and of course, We Will Rock You.

WE WILL ROCK YOU reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen's live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. With Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors and "a band without parallel in the theatre" behind the cast, the audience can expect WE WILL ROCK YOU to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen's concerts.

The 2016-7 Australian tour is produced by John Frost, Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and Tribeca Theatrical Productions.

For more, visit wewillrockyou.com.au or follow @ROCKYOUAU on Twitter.

SEASON DETAILS:

SYDNEY

Venue: Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star

Season: To 26 June

Performance Times: Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 8pm, Sat matinee 2pm, Sunday 1pm & 6pm

Price: From $69.90*

Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 795 267

Groups 8+ call 1300 889 278

BRISBANE

Venue: Lyric Theatre, QPAC

Season: From 10 July

Performance Times: Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sat matinee 2pm, Sunday 1pm & 6pm

Price: From $69.90*

Bookings: qpac.com.au or phone 136 246

Groups 8+ 07 3840 7466

MELBOURNE

Venue: Regent Theatre

Season: From 30 August

Performance Times: Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 8pm, Sat matinee 2pm, Sunday 1pm & 6pm

Price: From $69.90*

Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or phone 1300 111 011

Groups 8+ call 1300 889 278

PERTH

Venue: Crown Theatre, Burswood

Season: From November

WAITLIST NOW FOR PRIORITY BOOKINGS

ADELAIDE

Venue: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Season: From January 2017

WAITLIST NOW FOR PRIORITY BOOKINGS

*An additional transaction fee and/or a credit/debit payment processing fee may apply