Liam Mower, Hannah Vassallo, et al. Set for Matthew Bourne's NUTCRACKER!

Full casting is announced for Matthew Bourne's NUTCRACKER!, which returns to Sadler's Wells this Christmas to celebrate the production's 20th Anniversary with a limited seven week run from Tuesday 6 December 2011 - Sunday 22 January 2012, as well as touring extensively throughout the UK (tour schedule attached). New dates are also added, with the tour now playing Dublin Grand Canal Theatre (Tuesday 8 - Saturday 12 May 2012) and Newcastle Theatre Royal (Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 May 2012). Christmas 2011 marks another special anniversary, as New Adventures returns to Sadler's Wells for a 10th consecutive Christmas Season.

Returning to New Adventures in the role of ‘CLARA' is Hannah Vassallo, who has recently completed two years in the West End production of Dirty Dancing playing the leading role of ‘Baby'. ‘NUTCRACKER!' will be played by CHRIS TRENFIELD (‘The Swan' in Swan Lake), ADAM MASKELL (‘The Angel' in Cinderella) and EDWIN RAY (‘The Pilot' in Cinderella). ‘SUGAR' will be performed by Ashley Shaw, Sophia Hurdley and Chloe Wilkinson (all from the recent hit production of Cinderella) whilst her brother, ‘FRITZ' will be played by New Adventures favourite DOMINIC NORTH (a record-breaking 7 different productions with New Adventures since his debut in 2004) and Daniel CollINS (Cinderella).

‘DR DROSS' will be played by NEIL WESTMORELAND, recently seen as ‘The Pilot' in Cinderella and Daniel Wright (Cinderella, The Car Man). His Wife, ‘MRS DROSS' and Matron to the Orphans will be played by Madelaine Brennan (‘The Girlfriend' in Swan Lake 3D, ‘Stepmother' in Cinderella) and DAISY MAY KEMP (Swan Lake) along with the original 1992 ‘Clara', Etta Murfitt, returning to help celebrate the production's 20th Anniversary.

Returning to New Adventures for Matthew Bourne's NUTCRACKER! are PHIL Jack Gardner, TOM JACKSON GREAVES, CARRIE JOHNSON, NICOLE KABERA, MARI KAMATA, Dena Lague, KATY LOWENHOFF, KATE LYONS, JAMIE MCDONALD, Luke Murphy, GAVIN PERSAND, ALISTAIR POSTLETHWAITE and DANNY REUBENS. Making their debuts with New Adventures are MERRY HOLDEN, KATRINA LYNDON, LEON MORAN and Liam Mower, who was London's first ‘Billy Elliot' and the youngest person ever to win an Olivier Award.

Matthew Bourne said today "To help celebrate this evergreen production's 20th Birthday, I have decided to cast the show with the next generation of New Adventures dancers, mostly making their debuts in these roles. With Popular Productions such as Nutcracker! now returning to New Adventures' repertoire on a regular basis, it seems only right to develop and nurture the incredible young talent that we have in the company by giving them bigger opportunities and challenges. I am, though, delighted to say that the cast includes our original Clara from 1992, Etta Murfitt, who along with several other New Adventures veterans, will guide and inspire the younger cast members.

With the addition of several new dates, added recently, I am thrilled to announce our biggest ever UK tour. Nutcracker! will be seen at a record-breaking 21 major venues, throughout the UK, made all the more remarkable, by the fact that this "seasonal" favourite will still be entertaining audiences in mid-May"

Matthew Bourne's NUTCRACKER! follows last year's hugely successful production of CINDERELLA, which after an 8 week, sold out run at Sadler's Wells and a recent international tour has now played over 200 performances and been seen by over 240,000 people.

This delicious theatrical feast has family-sized helpings of Matthew Bourne's trademark wit, pathos and magical fantasy. NUTCRACKER! follows Clara's bittersweet journey from a hilariously bleak Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross' Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland.

Tchaikovsky's glorious score and Anthony Ward's delicious sets and costumes combine with sizzling choreography to create a fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of the traditional favourite. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, it is co-devised by Martin Duncan, with lighting design by Howard Harrison and sound design by Paul Groothuis.

Described by The Observer as "the undisputed king of dance theatre", Matthew Bourne's company New Adventures has produced some of the most successful dance productions of the last two decades including Swan Lake, Edward Scissorhands and last year's sell-out hit, Cinderella.

Matthew Bourne is widely hailed as the UK's most popular and successful Choreographer/Director. He is the creator of the world's longest running ballet production, a five-time Olivier Award winner, and the only British director to have won the Tony Award for both Best Choreographer and Best Director of a Musical.

www.new-adventures.net/nutcracker