Cast announced for new UK revival of Footloose

Casting has been announced for a new revival of hit musical Footloose.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre and New Wolsey Theatre are heading back to the 1980s this summer to stage a spectacular new production of the hit show.

Footloose will première at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 31 May – 26 September 2024 and then transfer to the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich from 3 – 26 October.

Based on the hit 1980s film, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, the musical is being directed by the New Wolsey Theatre’s Chief Executive/Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul.

When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment to starting at a new high school, but he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing.

This heartfelt story pits a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top Forty score, elevated with dynamic new songs, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people while guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

The production’s fantastic cast will feature Lola Aluko as Lulu, Chris Coxon Chris Coxon as Coach Roger Dunbar, Theo Diedrick as Lyle, Kirsty Findlay as Ariel Moore, Connor Going as Chuck Cranston, Charlotte Grayson as Wendy Jo, Nina Kristofferson as Ethel McCormack, Signe Larsson as Urleen,  Myles Miller as Travis, Wendy Paver as Vi Moore, Elizabeth Rowe as Rusty, Robin Simpson as the Reverend Shaw Moore, Luke Thornton as Willard and Luke Wilson as Ren McCormack. All other roles will be played by the cast.

Adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, Footloose features a score by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, and Jim Steinman.

The new production is designed by Adrian Rees (Sunshine on Leith, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), with music directed by Richard Reeday (Brief Encounter, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), lighting by Jeanine Byrne (A Streetcar Named Desire, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), sound by James Cook (Once, UK Tour), choreography by Kally Lloyd-Jones (This Is Memorial Device, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Edinburgh International Book Festival), fight direction by Robin Hellier ( A Streetcar Named Desire, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and the voice dialect coach is Charmian Hoare (The Lehman Trilogy, National Theatre).

Director and Chief Executive/Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre Douglas Rintoul said: “Elizabeth Newman and I have been cooking up a treat for our theatres for a while. Although we’re 500-miles apart there’s a palpable synergy between us. Footloose, is etched in our memories for its Oscar and Tony-nominated score, but it also unfolds as a poignant journey delving into themes of grief, cultural censorship, and youth rebellion.

“This new collaboration represents a thrilling opportunity to reawaken the essence of this classic. In this way, this 40-year-old 80s classic will resonate with the challenges and joys of our contemporary world.”

Fore more information, visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com and wolseytheatre.co.uk