Bailey and Pitt-Pulford To Star In MARRY ME A LITTLE, July-Aug 2014

Casting is announced today for Stephen Sondheim's Marry Me A Little, which returns to the London stage for the first time in 17 years in a brand new production at St. James Studio for 16 performances only from Tuesday 29 July.

Simon Bailey will star as Man and Laura Pitt-Pulford will star as Woman.

Simon Bailey was most recently seen as Liam in I Can't Sing! at the London Palladium. Prior to this he toured the UK as Raoul in Cameron Mackintosh's new production of The Phantom of the Opera. West End credits include Lieutenant Torrasso/Count Ludovic in Passion at the Donmar Warehouse,Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, Enjolras in Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre and Britney in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. Simon is also a founder member of 'Theatreland's First Supergroup' Teatro.

Laura Pitt-Pulford was most recently seen as The Falconer in the Tori Amos musical The Light Princess at the National Theatre. Other recent credits include A Man of No Importance at Salisbury Playhouse, Piaf at Leicester Curve Theatre, Hello Dolly at Leicester Curve Theatre, Mack & Mabel at Southwark Playhouse and Parade at Southwark Playhouse.

Marry Me A Little pieces together a selection of songs by the undisputed master of the contemporary Broadway musical to tell a charming and bittersweet tale of love, loneliness and survival as a modern singleton. Two single strangers, left alone in their studio apartments on a Saturday night, pass their time with sweetly secret, unshared fantasies, never knowing that they're just a floor away from each other and the end of their lonely dreams. Told entirely through songs written early in Sondheim's career or previously intended for his ground-breaking Broadway musicals including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Company, Follies and A Little Night Music, Marry Me a Little is funny, moving and sophisticated musical as well as a fascinating look at "the songs that got away".

Marry Me a Little was co-created by Craig Lucas, who met Sondheim whilst performing in the ensemble of the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd. In discussions at rehearsals and parties, Sondheim mentioned to Lucas the large number of songs he had written that hadn't been performed or published. Lucas requested permission to use these songs, and with his collaborator Norman René, pieced them together to create a narrative between a young man and woman.

Marry Me a Little premiered Off-Off Broadway in 1980 and was described by the New York Times as "an unusually moving evening". It was last seen in London in 1997 at the Bridewell Theatre in a production starring Clive Carter and Rebecca Front.

Marry Me a Little is conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman René, with music by Stephen Sondheim. It is directed by Hannah Chissick with musical direction by David Randall. It is produced byAria Entertainment in association with Guy James and Knockhardy Productions, and by special arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

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