Artistic Director Daniel Evans and Executive Director Kathy Bourne have announced a fantastic upcoming season of productions at the Chichester Festival Theatre. 

Leading the charge is the much-loved Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific. Running from 5 July to 4 September, the cast is led by Gina Beck (Matilda, Show Boat) as Nellie, Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, Merrily We Roll Along) as Emile, Joanna Ampil (Avenue Q, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon) as Bloody Mary, Keir Charles (Quiz, Back To Life) as Luther Billis and Rob Houchen (Les Misérables, The Light in the Piazza) as Cable.

The cast also includes Iroy Abesamis, Lindsay Atherton, Carl Au, Rosanna Bates, David Birrell, Leslie Garcia Bowman, Taylor Bradshaw, Bobbie Chambers, Charlotte Coggin, Danny Collins, Oliver Edward, Sergio Giacomelli, Shailan Gohil, Adrian Grove, Zack Guest, Cameron Bernard Jones, Amanda Lindgren, Matthew Maddison, Sera Maehara (as Liat), Melissa Nettleford, Rachel Jayne Picar, Kate Playdon, Pierce Rogan, Clancy Ryan, Charlie Waddell and James Wilkinson-Jones, with children's roles played by Lana Lakha, Kami Lieu, David Ngara O'Dwyer and Alexander Quinlan.

The production will be live streamed on certain dates throughout August and September and one performance of South Pacific each week will be socially distanced. There will be a Dementia Friendly performance on 1 September at 2.30pm. 

The season also features two world premieres, firstly The Long Song, a new adaptation by Suhayla El-Bushra based on Andrea Levy’s novel, directed by Charlotte Gwinner and running from 1 to 23 October. The Flock by Zoe Cooper, directed by Guy Jones, is the second world premiere to run at the theatre this season, running from 6 to 28 August. 

Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be revived, in co-production with the Lyric Hammersmith and directed by Rachel O’Riordan. McDonagh’s work includes the blockbuster hits Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and In Bruges, and the highly successful plays The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and Hangmen. 

David Storey’s award-winning 1970 play Home, will also be revived, directed by Josh Roche and running from 8 October to 6 November. 

Speaking about the upcoming season, Evans and Bourne said: “We’re delighted to announce four new productions to add to our summer musical, South Pacific. […] These plays – each with a director new to CFT at the helm – take us from the South Pacific to Jamaica, rural Ireland, the North-East of England and back to the Home Counties. All engage, 2 in varying ways, with the differences that divide us – from racial prejudice to warring families, social mores and conflicting beliefs – and whether tolerance and understanding can bring us together.”

The theatre’s successes also continue in both London and New York with Evans and Bourne saying: “After a challenging year, we can’t wait to reopen our doors – and to see Chichester productions reaching audiences far beyond West Sussex again. In addition to our film of Crave (streaming 18 – 29 May), Caroline, Or Change is now scheduled for New York in the autumn and Singin’ in the Rain splashes down in London later this summer.”

Ticket prices have been capped at 2019 prices and can be found, along with more information, here.