Cast Set For UK Tour of CAROLINE - A NEW MUSICAL

The cast and creative team have been revealed for the world premiere of vibrant new musical Caroline. The inaugural production from East Anglian Touring Consortium opens at New Wolsey Theatre on 17 April before touring to Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, New Theatre Peterborough, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

The talented cast of actor-musicians includes: Nicola Bryan (Mamma Mia – International Tour / Sister Act – UK Tour) as Betty; Gareth Cooper (One Man, Two Guvnors – New Vic / Julius Caesar – Southwark Playhouse) as Postmaster General; Jake Halsey-Jones (Dear Evan Hansen – Asian Tour / Hamilton – Victoria Palace) as Robbie; Joey Hickman (Noël and Gertie – UK Tour / Brief Encounter – Stephen Joseph Theatre & UK Tour) as Declan; Rhiannon Hopkins (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – UK and Ireland Tour / Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story – UK Tour) as Kitty; James Lawrence (Peaky Blinders: The Rise / Doctor Who: Time Fracture – Immersive Everywhere) as Steven; Claire Lee Shenfield (The Rivals – Orange Tree Theatre & Theatre Royal Bath / Little Women – UK Tour) as Caroline; Jerome Lincoln (Standing At The Sky's Edge – National Theatre at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, West End / Once On This Island – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) as the Private Secretary; Perry Meadowcroft (A Midsummer Night's Dream – OVO Theatre & Minack Theatre / JUDY! – The Arts Theatre) as Dave the Fish; and Eloise Richardson (Dick Whittington and His Cat – New Wolsey Theatre / Once Upon a Flowerbed – Moonbeam Theatre) as Mary.

A radio station for young people! Why do we need that? Caroline dreams of more than stacking shelves at the local greengrocers. By night she escapes to the pier with her best friend Mary and Robbie, her music-mad boyfriend. When Robbie lands a shock gig with pirate station Radio Caroline, blasting pop and rock from a ship off the Essex coast, Caroline is swept into a tidal wave of music, mayhem and a revolution that will shake British culture

Caroline is written by the award-winning Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul and Alex Thorpe. The creative team includes sound designer Helen Atkinson, set and costume designer Stella Backman, dramaturg Titilola Dawudu, voice coach Charmaine Hoare, fight and intimacy director Haruka Kuroda, lighting designer Callum Macdonald, musical supervisor Paul Schofield, and choreographer Sundeep Saini.

Director Douglas Rintoul says: “Caroline is a story born from the spirit of East Anglia - rebellious, creative, and full of music. To be announcing this extraordinary cast and creative team as the inaugural production of the East Anglian Touring Consortium feels incredibly exciting. This collaboration brings together some of the region's leading theatres to create work at scale, rooted in our place but with national ambition. I can't wait for audiences across the region to experience the energy, heart and soundtrack of this remarkable story brought to life by such an exceptional company.

Caroline is a feel-good blast of 60s hits, heart, and hometown pride capturing the moment Britain turned up the volume and never looked back. Inspired by the true story of Britain's pirate radio revolution which set the soundtrack to the sixties and gave a whole generation a new voice, Caroline is packed with era-defining anthems. Exploding with energy and optimism sweeping from chip shops to shipping lanes and tiny transistor radios to the halls of power, this funny, heartfelt musical about love and loyalty celebrates East Anglia's special connection to a story that rocked the world.

She's not a DJ She's not a rock star. But Caroline might just steal the show! Join the musical revolution with tickets starting from £15. Visit Carolineanewmusical.com 

Caroline is co-produced by partners of East Anglian Touring Consortium including New Wolsey Theatre, Landmark Theatres, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Mercury Theatre Colchester, Norwich Theatre,Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Hightide and Eastern Angles. With thanks to Arts Council England and National Theatre Generate programme.

Tour Dates

New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
www.wolseytheatre.co.uk
17 April – 2 May 2026

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch
www.queens-theatre.co.uk
6 – 16 May 2026

New Theatre Peterborough
www.newtheatre-peterborough.com
19 – 23 May 2026

Mercury Theatre Colchester
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
3 – 13 June 2026

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
www.theatreroyal.org
16 – 20 June 2026