Cast Announced for Storyhouse's Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre Productions

Rehearsing via zoom and then on the Storyhouse thrust stage and then outdoors in the park, productions of Merry Wives of Windsor, Pride and Prejudice and The Jungle Book open on Saturday 29 May and run until Sunday 30 August.

Returning to Chester after last summer's 3-week season of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre is Jessica Dives, she will play Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Quickly & Anne Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Speakno and Ringo the Vulture in The Jungle Book (other theatre credits include The Ballad of Maria Marten (Eastern Angles/SJT); Guess How Much I Love You (Selladoor Theatre)); Suzanne Ahmet will play Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Kaa and Liam the Vulture in The Jungle Book, (other theatre credits include The Ballad Of Marten, (Eastern Angles and Matthew Linley Creative Projects); Homing Birds, (Kali Theatre)); Darren Kuppan will play Mr Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, Master Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor and Bagheera in The Jungle Book (other theatre credits include Under Three Moons (Box Of Tricks Theatre) Around The World In 80 Days, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Road, Europe (all as part of the Leeds Playhouse Ensemble). Jenny Murphy will play Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Master Fenton & Sir Hugh in Merry Wives of Windsor and Hearno and Announcer in The Jungle Book. (Jenny was part of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre's 2014 Young Company, other theatre credits include Cilla - The Musical' (UK tour) and Julius Caesar (The Playground Theatre). Howard Chadwick will play Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Falstaff in Merry Wives of Windsor and Baloo in The Jungle Book (other theatre credits include Brassed Off, (The New Vic), Hard Times, (Northern Broadsides)). Perry Moore will play Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Master Page in Merry Wives of Windsor and Shere Khan and Paul the Vulture in The Jungle Book, (other theatre credits include Hoard: Revisited, Tale Trail to Prince and the Pauper, Robin Hood and Marian, (Oxford Playhouse), Purvi Parmar will play Charlotte Collins in Pride and Prejudice, Slender in Merry Wives of Windsor and Mowgli in The Jungle Book (other theatre credits include Pure (Hope Mill Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Bolton Octagon Online). Completing the cast is Victoria Brazier as Mrs Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor and Seano & Noel the Vulture in The Jungle Book.

Creatives include: for Pride and Prejudice adapted by Deborah McAndrew, directed by Conrad Nelson, designed by Jessica Curtis, musical direction and composition by Rebekah Hughes. Choreographed by Beverly Edmunds .

For Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by John Young, musical director and composer Jessica Dives and designed by Jessica Curtis. Choreographed by Alison Hughes.

The Jungle Book adapted by Glyn Maxwell, directed by Gitika Buttoo, composed and musical direction by Tom Penn, choreography and movement by Grace Goulding and design by Jessica Curtis.

Alex Clifton said:

We are so delighted to have this company! They each come with enormous skill, commitment and energy. They are all wonderful storytellers and are ready to work very hard. Like always, they each come with a diversity of experiences and perspectives and a variety of skills: musicianship, singing, physical skills. They can't wait to be with an audience - to connect with, to play with and to.

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Find out more at storyhouse.com

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre is sponsored by MBNA.