It's a Knockout! THE BAND Becomes Fastest Selling Theatre Tour

The UK Tour of David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Take That's production of Tim Firth's new musical, THE BAND, with the music of Take That, went on sale at 12.00noon today, Monday 3 April, and, within the first two hours, the Box Office took £2 million, making it the fastest selling theatre tour ever.

The musical was launched yesterday, Sunday 2 April, on stage at the Manchester Apollo (where Take That first performed in 1992), at a rehearsed reading in front of an audience of invited guests, from fans to friends.

The UK Tour will begin at Manchester Opera House on 8 September, with a national press night on Tuesday 26 September 2017.

THE BAND is a new musical about what it's like to grow up with a boyband. For five 16 year-old friends in 1992, 'the band' is everything. 25 years on, we are reunited with the group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.

The Band will be played by AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Yazdan Qafouri Isfahani, Curtis T Johns and Sario Watanabe-Soloman, who, as Five to Five, won BBC's Let It Shine. Playing the parts of Rachel and Young Rachel will be Rachel Lumberg and Faye Christallrespectively. Further casting is to be announced.

THE BAND will be directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, designed by Jon Bausor and choreographed by Kim Gavin, with lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, video design by Luke Halls and sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster.

THE BAND will be produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Robbie Williams.

For more about the production, visit www.thebandmusical.com.

TOUR SCHEDULE:

Manchester Opera House

8 September 2017 - 30 September 2017

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

4 October 2017 - 14 October 2017

Bradford Alhambra Theatre

17 October 2017 - 28 October 2017

Southampton Mayflower Theatre

31 October 2017 - 11 November 2017

Llandudno Venue Cymru

14 November 2017 - 25 November 2017

Stoke Regent Theatre

28 November 2017 - 9 December 2017

Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre

9 January 2018 - 20 January 2018

Liverpool Empire Theatre

23 January 2018 - 3 February 2018

Norwich Theatre Royal

6 February 2018 - 17 February 2018

Canterbury Marlowe Theatre

20 February 2018 - 3 March 2018

Hull New Theatre

6 March 2018 - 17 March 2018

Leeds Grand Theatre

20 March 2018 - 31 March 2018

Newcastle Theatre Royal

3 April 2018 - 14 April 2018

Bristol Hippodrome

17 April 2018 - 28 April 2018

Birmingham Hippodrome

1 May 2018 - 12 May 2018

Plymouth Theatre Royal

15 May 2018 - 26 May 2018

Northampton Royal & Derngate

29 May 2018 - 9 June 2018

Nottingham Theatre Royal

12 June 2018 - 23 June 2018

Glasgow King's Theatre

26 June 2018 - 7 July 2018

Edinburgh Playhouse

10 July 2018 - 14 July 2018