END OF THE RAINBOW To Tour the UK, Starring Lisa Maxwell, Feb

A hit in the West End and on Broadway, End of the Rainbow will return in 2016, touring the UK in a brand new production opening at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester in February starring Lisa Maxwell as Judy Garland.

It's 1968 and Judy Garland, a once-glittering star, is in London to make her explosive comeback. But off stage, holed up in her hotel room, Judy is battling with her young new fiancé, her devoted accompanist, and her destructive addictions. Will she be able to conquer her demons and reclaim her crown as one of history's great musical icons? Featuring Garland's most memorable songs The Man That Got Away, Come Rain Or Come Shine, The Trolley Songand of course Somewhere Over The Rainbow, End of the Rainbow is a fiercely funny and emotionally charged musical play filled with Garland's legendary tenacity, razor-sharp wit and once-in-a-generation voice.

Lisa Maxwell will play Judy Garland. Lisa is an actress and television presenter, best known for her role as Samantha Nixon in ITV's The Bill from 2002 and 2009, and as a panelist on ITV's Loose Women from 2009 - 2014. Other television credits include EastEnders, The Russ Abbot Show and The Lisa Maxwell Show.

Gary Wilmot will play Anthony. Gary's musical theatre stardom began when he played Bill Snibson in the hit production of Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre. His many theatre credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (West End and Tour), Oklahoma! (UK Tour), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Invisible Man (Menier Chocolate Factory), Chicago (UK Tour), Half a Sixpence (UK Tour), HMS Pinafore and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Carmen Jones (Old Vic) and Copacabana (World Premiere, Prince of Wales Theatre).

Sam Attwater will play Mickey. Sam made his TV acting debut in 2009, playing Ricky in Hollyoaks. The following year he joined EastEnders and its online spinoff EastEnders: E20, as Leon Small. Stage credits include Brad in the 40th Anniversary tour of The Rocky Horror Show, Dreamboats and Petticoats in the West End, and the 2014 UK Tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Sam won the sixth series of ITV's Dancing on Ice in 2011, and returned for the 'All Stars' series in 2014.

At certain performances the role of Judy Garland will be played by Ellen Verenieks.

End of the Rainbow first premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2005, before playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006. It returned to the UK in 2010 in a new production at Northampton Royal & Derngate, transferring to the West End the same year where it ran for 6 months and received four Olivier Award nominations. A Broadway run followed in 2012, where it received three Tony Award nominations. It is written by Peter Quilter, whose plays have been presented in over 40 countries around the world and translated into 30 languages. For End of the Rainbow, Peter received an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play. Other plays include Glorious!, which opened at the West End's Duchess Theatre in 2005 starring Maureen Lipman, where it was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

End of the Rainbow will be directed by Daniel Buckroyd. Daniel has been Artistic Director of the Mercury Theatre, Colchester since July 2012, where credits include Aladdin, Noises Off, Cinderella, Macbeth, Betty Blue Eyes, The Opinion Makers, The Butterfly Lion, The History Boys, The Hired Man and Michael Morpurgo's Friend Or Foe. It is designed by David Shields.

TOUR LISTINGS

Friday 12 - Saturday 20 February 2016

COLCHESTER Mercury Theatre

Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 February 2016

COVENTRY Belgrade Theatre

Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 March 2016

AYLESBURY Waterside Theatre

Tuesday 8 - Saturday 12 March 2016

BROMLEY Churchill Theatre

Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 March 2016

TORQUAY Princess Theatre

Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 March 2016

WINDSOR Theatre Royal

Tuesday 29 March - Saturday 2 April 2016

BRIGHTON Theatre Royal

Tuesday 5 - Saturday 9 April 2016

MALVERN Festival Theatre

Monday 18 - Wednesday 20 April 2016

WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre

Tuesday 26 - Saturday 30 April 2016

GLASGOW King's Theatre

Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 May 2016

MANCHESTER Opera House

Monday 9 - Wednesday 11 May 2016

BILLINGHAM Forum Theatre

ON SALE SOON

Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 May 2016

SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre

ON SALE SOON

Monday 16 - Wednesday 18 May 2016

LICHFIELD Garrick Theatre

Thursday 19 - Saturday 21 May 2016

NEWCASTLE Tyne Theatre & Opera House

ON SALE SOON

Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 May 2016

RICHMOND THEATRE

Tuesday 31 May - Saturday 4 June 2016

BURY ST EDMUNDS Theatre Royal

Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 June 2016

WOKING New Victoria Theatre

Tuesday 14 - Saturday 18 June 2016

HIGH WYCOMBE Swan Theatre

ON SALE SOON

Tuesday 21 -Saturday 25 June 2016

BIRMINGHAM New Alexandra Theatre

Tuesday 5 - Saturday 9 July 2015

CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre

ON SALE SOON

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