This week for Throwback Thursday we spoke to Holly Dale Spencer, whose career had its beginnings at the Birmingham Hippodrome, aged 8, through to playing Mrs Wormwood in Matilda the musical, Holly also works as a mindfulness coach helping people through the pandemic.
Hayden Tee will join the cast of Matilda the musical London as Miss Trunchbull from September along with other new cast members.
Alex Bourne will be Daddy Warbucks with Holly Dale Spencer as Grace Farrell alongside Miranda Hart as part of further casting announced for the new West End production of Annie. The pair, who have both appeared in the UK tour of the musical, will be joined in the show at Piccadilly Theatre by Jonny Fines as Rooster and Djalenga Scott as Lily. Today’s casting news follows the previously announced Hart as iconic villain Miss Hannigan. The title role of Annie will be shared by Madeleine Haynes, aged 13 from Hadley Wood, Barnet in north London, Lola Moxom, aged 12 from Rochester in Kent, and Ruby Stokes, aged 12 from Hampshire. They will be joined by three teams of young performers who will play the girls in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage (see below). Completing the company will be ensemble members Keisha Atwell, Sophie Ayers, Bobby Delaney, Nic Gibney, Patrick Harper, Ben Harrold, George Ioannides, Megan Louch, Benjamin Mundy, Ben Oliver, Heather Scott-Martin, Anne Smith, Kate Somerset How, Katie Warsop and Russell Wilcox. Amber, a four-year-old Labradoodle, will play Annie’s dog, Sandy. Rehearsals … Read more
Thanks to this energetic reimagining, Annie can finally escape the chorus of groans that once accompanied its name. It’s once again acceptable to hum Charles Strouse’s Tomorrow (boy oh boy!) and soak up Thomas Meehan’s saccharine rags to riches story – just as I did when I was seven. Foster’s fast-paced and punchy production – touring the UK until June 2016 – has given one very old dog a fresh lease of life, bringing Annie back for a new, let’s face it, more discerning generation. And they’ve done so with gusto.
