Cast announced for world premiere of major new musical STILETTO
Full cast has been announced for the world premiere of major new musical Stiletto, which opens at London’s Charing Cross Theatre from 24 March-15 June 2025.
Set in Venice, Europe’s opera capital during the winter of 1730-31, Stiletto has music and lyrics by three-time Grammy nominee, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Wilder, with a book by double Olivier Award nominee Tim Luscombe, direction by David Gilmore, staging consultancy by Tony and Olivier nominated choreographer Anthony Van Laast, musical staging by Chris Baldock, and musical direction by Jae Alexander.
The lead cast includes: Greg Barnett (The Duchess of Malfi, RSC) as Faustino, Sam Barrett (Mission Impossible 7: Dead Reckoning Part 1) as Luigi, Jack Chambers (A-Typical Rainbow, Turbine Theatre) as Marco, Kelly Hampson (Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, West End) as Azzurra, Douglas Hansell (Come From Away) as Pietro, Jewelle Hutchinson (Coram Boy, Chichester Festival Theatre/The Lowry) as Gioia, and Connor Wood (A Christmas Carol, Old Vic) as Niccolo.
The ensemble features: Alex Anstey (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West End), Aiden Carson (Peter Pan, Theatre Royal Nottingham), Richard Dawes (Orton - A New Musical, Above The Stag), Grace Galloway (Priscilla the Party, Here at Outernet), Jennie Jacobs (Napoleon, Jermyn Street Theatre), Owen Johnston (Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, ITV), Cassandra McCowan (School of Rock, West End/Asia tour), Hannah Murdoch (professional debut), Samuel John Taylor (Sasha Regan’s All-Male The Pirates of Penzance, Wilton’s Music Hall/UK tour), and Sienna Widd (professional debut).
In Italy during the 18th century, 5,000 boys, almost exclusively from poor families, were castrated annually. Their treble voices intact, castration promised those who survived a chance to earn fame and fortune by singing female roles in the opera. Venice is a city bristling with opportunity where fortunes can be made but life is cheap. Opera stars being the rock stars of their day, young Marco is on course to be an 18th-century Jagger or Bowie, to snag a powerful patron and play leading roles. One day in a busy square he meets Gioia, confident, strong willed...and supremely talented. Marco introduces Gioia to society and his patron, the Contessa Azzurra, but at the end of the evening, a body lies dead and Gioia is hauled off to prison. To free her, Marco must overcome the demons of his past and the morally corrupt forces of the present...
