New casting details announced for CHESS, KINKY BOOTS & TREASON concerts at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

With less than a week to go before the three-part concert series presented at Theatre Royal Drury Lane kicks off, starting with Chess the Musical in Concert on Monday 1 August, there are a few final casting announcements to be made.

Providing the pre-recorded Newscaster in Chess the Musical in Concert is national treasure, Sir Trevor McDonald OBE. Predominantly known to audiences for his critically acclaimed career in journalism, the iconic Sir Trevor McDonald’s can be seen on screen in the concert performances of Chess this summer at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Charlie Price in Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert will now be played by Joel Harper-Jackson, who has previously played the role in the UK tour in 2019 to which he received rave reviews. 

Joel said: “I’m so chuffed to step back into the role of Charlie Price for the concerts at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane this August. I was already honoured to be appearing in Chess, however getting the chance to revisit Charlie again in Kinky Boots is really exciting as it’s a show I hold very close to my heart and I can’t wait to dust off my heels!”

Joining the brand-new British musical, Treason the Musical in Concert as their narrator will be esteemed poet and activist, Debris Stevenson. No stranger to stage, Debris’ semi-autobiographical grime musical, Poet on da Corner, received great acclaim when premiering at the Royal Court in 2018. It is with this experience and talent that she also joined the creative team of Treason the Musical as an additional writer after workshopping the show earlier this year. Debris, along with the writing team, has further developed sections within the show to really enhance the original story.

Chess, with music by ABBA legends Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and lyrics by the incomparable Sir Tim Rice, returns to the West End for the first time since 2018.

The cast will be led by Samantha Barks as Florence, Hadley Fraser as Anatoly, Joel Harper-Jackson as Freddie, Frances Mayli McCann as Svetlana and Ako Mitchell as The Arbiter and Craige Els as Molokov.

Chess’s creative team includes Director and Choreographer Nick Winston, Associate Director and Choreographer Alexzandra Sarmiento, Musical Director Freddie Tapner, Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer Tom Marshall, Video Projection Designer Duncan McLean, and Casting Director Harry Blumenau.

Returning to the West End for the first time since 2019, Kinky Boots features a joyous score by Cyndi Lauper and a hilarious, uplifting book by Harvey Fierstein.

This summer, a performance of Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert will be coming to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. With Cedric Neal (Back To The Future, Motown), Joel Harper-Jackson (COCK, Kinky Boots UK Tour), and Courtney Bowman (Six, Legally Blonde) bringing the music alive with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, this concert is sure to lift the spirits and have you dancing in the aisles.

Kinky Boots’ creative team includes Director Omar F Okai, Musical Director Freddie Tapner, Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer Tom Marshall, and Casting Director Harry Blumenau.

Previously confirmed casting for Treason the Musical in Concert includes Carrie Hope Fletcher as Martha Percy, Bradley Jaden as Thomas Percy, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Robert Catesby, Les Dennis as Robert Cecil, Emilie Louise Israel as Eleanor Brooksby, Rebecca Lachance as Anne Vaux, Daniel Boys as King James, Cedric Neal as Earl of Northumberland, Waylon Jacobs as Jack Wright and Adam Pearce as Thomas Wintour.

Treason is the explosive new musical about the gunpowder plot featuring stunning music by Ricky Allan, and book and lyrics by Ricky Allan and Kieran Lynn and narrative material for the concert by Debris Stevenson.

Having already garnered a global audience following its streamed concert from Cadogan Hall in March 2021 and successful release of six tracks on streaming platforms. Songs from Treason The Musical such as ‘Take Things Into Our Own Hands’, ‘The Cold Hard Ground’ and ‘Blind Faith’ have already taken Spotify by storm with over 300,000 streams, and the streamed lockdown concert was described as “an exceptional musical in the making” (West End Best Friend).

Treason’s creative team includes Director Hannah Chissick, Choreographer Taylor Walker, Musical Supervisor Nick Pinchbeck, Musical Director Alan Berry, Orchestrator Matthew Malone, Lighting Designer Simisola Majekodunmi, Sound Designer Tom Marshall, Video Designer Gino Green, and Casting Director Harry Blumenau.

These three productions as part of three concerts presented in August at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Chess the Musical in Concert will take place on 1 and 2 August and will precede the concert stagings of Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert on 8 and 9 August and Treason the Musical in Concert on 22 and 23 August.

To book tickets for all three concerts, please click here.