Busted star Matt Willis and West End regular Victoria Hamilton-Barritt will pick up their welders and pull up their legwarmers this autumn as they take on the starring roles in the forthcoming production of Flashdance The Musical.
They will be joined by musical theatre regulars Sarah Ingram (Imagine This, Murderous Instincts, South Pacific), Hannah Levane (We Will Rock You, High School Musical), Twinnie-Lee Moore (We Will Rock You, Desperately Seeking Susan) and Hollyoaks actress Charlotte Harwood.
Directed by Nikolai Foster and with choreography by Arlene Phillips, Flashdance The Musicals tells the story of 19-year-old Alex who is a welder by day and a ‘flashdancer’ by night. Featuring popular songs including Flashdance – What A Feeling and I Love Rock And Roll, Flashdance – as all good musicals are – is a tale of holding on to your dreams and love against all the odds.
As leading lady Alex, Hamilton-Barritt is well prepared for the West End production having created the role for the UK tour of Flashdance The Musical in 2008. Most recently Hamilton-Barritt was seen playing Rizzo in Grease at the Piccadilly theatre and her numerous musical credits include Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales theatre, Fame at the Aldwych theatre and Desperately Seeking Susan at the Novello theatre.
In contrast to Hamilton-Barritt’s extensive experience on stage, Flashdance The Musical marks Willis’s West End debut. The musician, singer and presenter first found fame as part of the pop band Busted who formed in 2000. After splitting up in 2005, Willis went on to have a solo career before embarking on a television career, presenting I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, which he had won in 2006 as a contestant. A Sylvia Young alumnus, during his teenage years Willis appeared in television programmes including The Bill, Casualty and EastEnders.
The full cast for the eighties-tastic musical is Brendan Cull, Russell Dixon, Sam Mackay, Ricky Rojas, Andrew Spillett, Robbie White, Ivan Blackstock, Tyman Boatwright, Myles Brown, Joseph Conner, Natalie Edmunds, Nicholas Gilligan, Zoe Green, James Hall, Ben Harrold, Emily Hawgood, Kirby Huges, Sia Kiwa, Lindsay Shaw, Maria Swainson, Amy Thornton and Daniel Uppal.
Flashdance The Musical previews from 24 September at the Shaftesbury theatre, with a gala night on 14 October. Currently booking until 14 October, the musical will follow dance show Burn The Floor which plays at the theatre until 4 September.
CM