Full Casting Announced for FOOTLOOSE UK Tour and Limited West End Season

Full casting is announced today for Footloose: The Musical, which returns next month following a smash-hit 2016 tour. Opening at New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 21 April, the tour will include a strictly limited West End season at The Peacock, playing for three weeks from Tuesday 12 September 2017.

Joshua Dowen will play Ren McCormack, the role immortalised on screen by Kevin Bacon. Joshua's stage credits include Dogfight at Southwark Playhouse, Cool Rider at the Duchess Theatre and All or Nothing at the Vaults Festival.

The cast also features Hannah Price (reprising her performance from the 2016 tour) as Ariel Moore, Reuven Gershon (Let It Be, West End and Broadway) as Reverend Shaw, Lindsay Goodhand (Crazy For You, Watermill Theatre) as Ethel McCormack, Laura Sillett (Grease, International Tour) as Rusty, Connor Going (The Pirates of Penzance, Sh*tfaced Shakesepare) as Chuck, Emma Fraser (The Vaudevillians, Les Enfants Terribles) as Wendy Jo, Gracie Lai (Avenue Q, UK Tour) as Urleen, Tomas Wolstenhome (Once, West End) as Bickle, Dominic Gee Burch as Jeter and Alex Marshall (Buddy, UK Tour) as Wes. The cast also includes Luke Dowling, Grace Lancaster, Laurence Libor, Jamie Ross and Lauren Storer.

They join the previously announced Gareth Gates as Willard and Maureen Nolan as Vi Moore.

Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let's Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and electrifying music.

When the film was released in 1984, it became the highest-grossing February release in US film history. The soundtrack album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson's Thriller at number one and went on to top album charts all over the world, eventually selling in excess of 17 million copies. Footloose was nominated for a Golden Globe, and both the title song and Let's Hear It for the Boy received Academy Award nominations. Footloose: The Musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006.

Gareth Gates rose to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, going on to sell over 5 million records worldwide and have hits across the globe. His version of Unchained Melody sold over a million copies in the UK and is the 3rd best-selling single of the Noughties. Gareth is also the youngest ever-male solo artist to debut at number 1. More recently Gareth has enjoyed a successful career on stage, with credits including Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. In 2014 Gareth appeared in the final series of Dancing on Ice, and joined boyband 5th Story as part of ITV's second series of The Big Reunion, touring arenas with bands including Blue and Five.

Gareth will not appear in Wimbledon and Chester.

Maureen Nolan has been singing with her sisters since she was nine years old, when they became one of Europe's first girl bands, The Nolans. Best known for their smash hit single I'm in the Mood for Dancing, The Nolans enjoyed phenomenal record sales worldwide, and worked with some of the world's most respected artists including Frank Sinatra. On stage, Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End and on tour to critical acclaim. She was the fourth Nolan sister to play the role, earning them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Other credits include Sadie in Girl's Behind, Jill in Mum's the Word and Sarah in The Naked Truth.

Footloose: The Musical has music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and is adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. It is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. It is directed by Racky Plews (American Idiot, West End) with choreography by Matthew Cole, design by Sara Perks and musical supervision by Mark Crossland. It is produced by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree for Selladoor Productions, Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Stephen McGill Productions. It is presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.

For more information, visit www.footloose-musical.com,

2017 UK TOUR

Friday 21 - Saturday 22 April 2017

NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre | 020 8545 7900

Gareth Gates will not appear in Wimbledon

Tuesday 2 - Saturday 6 May 2017

YORK GRAND OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york | 0844 871 3024

Monday 8 - Saturday 13 May 2017

WYCOMBE SWAN THEATRE

Box Office www.wycombeswan.co.uk | 01494 512 000

Monday 15 - Saturday 20 May 2017

RICHMOND THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/richmond | 0844 871 7651

Monday 22 - Saturday 27 May 2017

QUEEN'S THEATRE, HORNCHURCH

Box Office www.queens-theatre.co.uk | 01708 443333

Tuesday 30 May - Saturday 3 June 2017

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk | 01298 72190

Monday 5 - Saturday 10 June 2017

VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO

Box Office www.venuecymru.co.uk | 01492 872000

Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 June 2017

COVENTRY BELGRADE THEATRE

Box Office www.belgrade.co.uk | 024 7655 3055

Monday 19 - Saturday 25 June 2017

SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE

Box Office www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre | 01792 475715

Monday 10 - Saturday 15 July 2017

GUILDFORD G LIVE

Box Office www.glive.co.uk | 0844 7701 797

Wednesday 19 - Saturday 22 July 2017

CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY

Box Office www.churchilltheatre.co.uk | 020 3285 6000

Wednesday 26 July - Sunday 6 August 2017

KURSAAL OOSTENDE, BELGIUM

Monday 7 - Saturday 12 August 2017

PRESTON GUILD HALL

Box Office www.prestonguildhall.co.uk | 01772 80 44 44

Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 August 2017

DEVONSHIRE Park Theatre, EASTBOURNE

Box Office www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk | 01323 412 000

Monday 21 - Saturday 26 August 2017

THE TOWNGate Theatre, BASILDON

Box Office www.towngatetheatre.co.uk | 01268 465 465

Tuesday 5 - Saturday 9 September 2017

STORYHOUSE THEATRE, CHESTER

Box Office www.storyhouse.com | 0845 241 7868

Gareth Gates will not appear in Chester

Tuesday 12 - Saturday 30 September 2017

THE PEACOCK, LONDON

Press Night: Wednesday 13 September

Performances Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 4.00pm

Box Office www.peacocktheatre.com | 020 7863 8222

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