Full Casting Announced For First UK Tour Of ONCE

Full casting is announced today for Once, which embarks on its first major UK tour from January 2020, following a run at Fairfield Halls, Croydon from Thursday 19 December to Saturday 11 January.

Joining the previously announced Daniel Healy as Guy and Emma Lucia as Girl are Dan Bottomley as Billy, Matthew Burns as Eamon, Ellen Chivers as Reza, Rosalind Ford as Ex-Girlfriend, Lloyd Gorman as Svejc, David Heywood as Emcee, Samuel Martin as Bank Manager, Peter Peverley as Da, Susannah Van Den Berg as Baruska and James William-Pattison as Andrej. The cast also includes Emma Fraser, Seán Keany, Hanna Khogali and Conor McFarlane.

Based on the critically acclaimed and much-loved film, Once tells the uplifting yet yearning story of two lost souls - a Dublin street busker and a Czech musician - who unexpectedly fall in love. Following their relationship across five short days, big changes happen to both of them in little ways. Celebrated for its original score including the Academy Award-winning song Falling Slowly, Once is a spell-binding and uplifting story of hopes and dreams.

Once embarks on its first major UK tour after acclaimed runs on Broadway and in the West End, and having won awards across the world including the Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, eight Tony Awards and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Following a run at Fairfield Halls, Croydon from Thursday 19 December 2019 - Saturday 11 January 2020, the tour will visit Southend, Liverpool, York, Woking, Milton Keynes, Ipswich, Bath, Coventry, Stoke, Malvern, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Oxford, Brighton, Sheffield, Cardiff, Southampton, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Canterbury, Leicester, Salford, Newcastle, Plymouth, Glasgow and Hull.

Daniel Healy and Emma Lucia return to the roles of 'Guy' and 'Girl' after receiving critical and audience acclaim in the production's premiere last year at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. Daniel Healy is a singer-songwriter, musician and actor, who has co-written songs for multi-platinum artist Ronan Keating including the single Breathe, which topped the BBC Radio 2 Playlist. Theatre credits include Backbeat and Once, both in the West End. Emma Lucia made her professional debut as Marilyn and understudying Carole King in the UK Tour of Beautiful, before taking on the role of Girl in Once.

Once is directed by Peter Rowe with set and costume design by Libby Watson, musical supervision by Ben Goddard, choreography by Francesca Jaynes, lighting design by Mark Dymock, sound design by James Cook, projection design by Peter Hazelwood and orchestrations by Martin Lowe. Casting is by Debbie O'Brien.

Based on the cult 2007 Irish indie feature, originally shot on a micro-budget of just $160,000, Once premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011 before transferring to Broadway in 2012. There it won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Productions have since opened all over the world, including the West End production in 2013 which received the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Once has a Book by award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh, and Music & Lyrics by Academy Award winning Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová who, for Falling Slowly, won the Oscar for Best Original Song. It is based on the motion picture Written and Directed by John Carney. The Original Production Concept is by John Tiffany.

Tour Dates

Thursday 19 December - Saturday 11 January 2020

ASHCROFT THEATRE at FAIRFIELD HALLS, CROYDON

Box Office: www.fairfield.co.uk / 020 3292 0002

Monday 13 - Saturday 18 January 2020

SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION

Box Office: www.southendtheatres.org.uk / 01702 351 135

Monday 20 - Saturday 25 January 2020

LIVERPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire / 0844 871 3017

Monday 3 - Saturday 8 February 2020

YORK GRAND OPERA HOUSE

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

Monday 10 - Saturday 15 February 2020

WOKING NEW VICTORIA THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre / 0844 871 7645

Monday 17 - Saturday 22 February 2020

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre / 0844 871 7652

Monday 24 February - Saturday 1 March 2020

IPSWICH NEW WOLSEY THEATRE

Box Office: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk / 01473 295 900

Monday 2 - Saturday 7 March 2020

BATH THEATRE ROYAL

Box Office: www.theatreroyal.org.uk / 01225 448844

Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 March 2020

COVENTRY BELGRADE THEATRE

Box Office: www.belgrade.co.uk / 024 7655 3055

Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 March 2020

STOKE REGENT THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre / 0844 871 7649

Monday 23 - Saturday 28 March 2020

MALVERN FESTIVAL THEATRE

Box Office: www.malvern-theatres.co.uk / 01684 892277

Monday 30 March - Saturday 4 April 2020

ABERDEEN HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE

Box Office: www.aberdeenperformingarts.com / 01224 641122

Monday 6 - Saturday 11 April 2020

NOTTINGHAM THEATRE ROYAL

Box Office: www.trch.co.uk / 0115 989 5555

Tuesday 14 - Saturday 18 April 2020

OXFORD NEW THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford / 0844 871 3020

Monday 20 - Saturday 25 April 2020

BRIGHTON THEATRE ROYAL

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton / 0844 871 7650

Tuesday 5 - Saturday 9 May 2020

SHEFFIELD LYCEUM THEATRE

Box Office: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk / 0114 249 6000

Monday 11 - Saturday 16 May 2020

CARDIFF WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE

Box Office: www.wmc.org.uk / 029 2063 6464

Monday 18 - Saturday 23 May 2020

SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER THEATRE

Box Office: www.mayflower.org.uk / 02380 711811

Tuesday 26 - Saturday 30 May 2020

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse / 0844 871 3014

Monday 1 - Saturday 6 June 2020

BIRMINGHAM ALEXANDRA THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/alexandra-theatre-birmingham / 0844 871 3011

Monday 8 - Saturday 13 June 2020

CANTERBURY MARLOWE THEATRE

Box Office: www.marlowetheatre.com / 01227 787787

Monday 15 - Saturday 20 June 2020

LEICESTER CURVE

Box Office: www.curveonline.co.uk / 0116 242 3595

Monday 22 - Saturday 27 June 2020

SALFORD THE LOWRY

Box Office: www.thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000

Monday 6 - Saturday 11 July 2020

PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL

Box Office: www.theatreroyal.com / 01752 267222

Monday 13 - Saturday 18 July 2020

GLASGOW KING'S THEATRE

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre / 0844 871 7648

Monday 20 - Saturday 25 July 2020

HULL NEW THEATRE

Box Office: www.hulltheatres.co.uk / 01482 300 306