Naomi Katiyo Joins Beverley Knight in SYLVIA as Full UK Tour Cast Is Revealed
The Olivier Award-winning musical will tour the UK this fall before concluding with five performances at the Royal Albert Hall.
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Full casting has been announced for the UK tour of the Olivier Award-nominated musical Sylvia, which returns this autumn ahead of five performances at the Royal Albert Hall from November 13–15.
Joining the previously announced Olivier Award winner Beverley Knight, who reprises her acclaimed performance as Emmeline Pankhurst, is Naomi Katiyo (Hamilton, Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical) as Sylvia Pankhurst. Katiyo replaces Sharon Rose, who has withdrawn from the production.
Following its sold-out world premiere at The Old Vic in 2023, Sylvia will open at Curve Leicester on September 24 before visiting Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, The Lowry in Salford, Norwich Theatre Royal, and the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. The tour concludes with five performances at the Royal Albert Hall, a venue deeply connected to the history of the suffragette movement.
Returning cast members from the original production include Kelly Agbowu as Mrs. Flora "The General" Drummond/Betty Savoy, Claudia-Rose Carlier, Jaye Marshall, Kirstie Skivington as Adela Pankhurst, and Ellena Vincent as Christabel Pankhurst. They are joined by Lauren Azania, Zion Battles, Ebony Clarke, Eloise Davies, Solomon Davy, Collette Guitart, Leah Hill, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Tachia Newall, Uzuazo O'David, Castell Parker, Cleve September, Kenedy Small, and Ivano Turco.
Written and directed by Kate Prince, with a book by Prince and Priya Parmar and music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, Sylvia tells the story of activist Sylvia Pankhurst, whose fight for social justice extended beyond women's suffrage to champion the rights of working-class communities. Blending hip hop, funk, and soul with Prince's signature choreography, the musical explores the tensions between Sylvia, her mother Emmeline, and her sister Christabel while celebrating her enduring legacy.
The full creative team includes: Kate Prince with Priya Parmar (Book), Josh Cohen and DJ Walde (Music), Kate Prince (Lyrics, Director & Choreographer), Ben Stones (Set and Costume), Natasha Chivers & Hector Murray (Lighting), Tony Gayle (Sound), Andrzej Goulding (Video and Animation), Cynthia De La Rosa (Wigs, Hair and Make-up), Mark Dickman (Orchestrations), Sean Green (Music Supervisor), Stuart Burt CDG (Casting), Lolita Chakrabarti (Dramaturgy) and Tachia Newall (Additional Lyrics).
The Royal Albert Hall performances carry particular historical significance. Between 1908 and 1913, the venue hosted nearly 30 suffragette rallies and speeches before banning Emmeline Pankhurst and the Women's Social and Political Union in 1913. Following the partial victory of women's suffrage in 1918, the Hall welcomed the movement back for a celebratory gathering featuring Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, cementing its place in the history of the campaign for voting rights.
As part of its engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, Sylvia will also present what is expected to be the UK's largest-ever education matinee on November 13, welcoming nearly 5,000 young people in partnership with Go Live Theatre.
An original highlights album, Sylvia – The Essentials, featuring 14 songs from the musical performed by Beverley Knight and produced by Grammy Award winner Martin Terefe, is available now on streaming platforms.
Sylvia begins performances at Curve Leicester on September 24 before touring the UK through November 15.
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