Lesley Joseph to star in Annie at The Regent

Michael Harrison and David Ian are delighted to announce that Lesley Joseph will star as Miss Hannigan in their smash hit production of the musical Annie at the Regent Theatre. (Nov 18 – 23 Nov 2019.)

Lesley joins Alex Bourne as Oliver Warbucks, Richard Meek as Rooster, Jenny Gayner as Lily and Carolyn Maitland as Grace Farrell. The title role of Annie is shared by Faye Katsande, Ava Smith and Freya Yates.They are joined by three teams of young performers who play the girls in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.

Completing the cast will be Michael Anderson, Thomas Audibert, Andy Barke, Caroline Bateson, Daisy Boyles, Blaise Colangelo, Gary Davis, Ashleigh Graham, George Rae, Anne Smith, India Thornton, Matt Trevorrow, Amy West and Samuel Wilson Freeman.

This production recently ran for an extended season in the West End following a sell-out tour of the UK and Ireland in 2015/16 as well as a recent sell-out season in Toronto.

Lesley Joseph returns to role of Miss Hannigan having played the part in this production in 2015/16. Lesley is best known for playing Dorien Green in the hugely successful sitcom Birds of a Feather alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. They recorded over 100 episodes over a period of nine years and returned to our screens in 2014 for a further three series. Lesley most recently appeared as Frau Blucher in the West End production of the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.Her other theatre credits include Miss Hannigan in Annie at the West End’s Victoria Palace and also on national tour as well as the touring productions of Calendar Girls and Thoroughly Modern Mille. 

Alex Bourne reprises his performance as Oliver Warbucks after playing the role in this production of Annie in the West End, Toronto and on the 2015/16 tour. His many other West End credits include Danny in Grease, The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Khashoggi in We Will Rock You and Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate for which he received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.His other credits include Daryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick and the Watermill Theatre, for which he received a TMA nomination for Best Actor, Sam Michael in the national tour of Mamma Mia! and Lex Hogan in Eugenius! at the Other Palace.

Richard Meek’s many credits include Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Brad, Eddie and Dr Scott in The Rocky Horror Show and Sir Galahad in Spamalot, all on national tour. He has also appeared as Leo Bloom in the international tour of The Producers as well as Dustin and Greaseball in the 25th anniversary cast of Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany. Jenny Gayner’s West End credits include Miss Wilson in the original cast of The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre, Hunyak in Chicago at the Adelphi, Cambridge and Garrick theatres and Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. Jenny has also appeared as Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain and Brooke Windham in Legally Blonde, both at Kilworth House.

Carolyn Maitland reprises her performance as Grace Farrell after playing the role in this production of Annie in Toronto. Her West End credits include Ellen in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre, Marian in The Woman in White at the Charing Cross Theatre and Groundhog Day and Kiss Me, Kate, both at the Old Vic. Her other credits include Molly in the national tour of Ghostand Kathy Seldon in Singin’ in the Rain at Kilworth House. 

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search…

With its award-winning book and score, this stunning new production includes the unforgettable songs, It’s the Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow.

Annie has Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin and a Book by Thomas Meehan. Annie is directed by Nikolai Foster with set and costume design by Colin Richmond, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Richard Brooker. Annie is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.