Principal casting has been announced for the World Premiere of Fisherman’s Friends the Musical UK and Ireland Tour.
Fisherman’s Friends the musical is based on the true story of the Cornish singing sensations, Fisherman’s Friends, and the hit 2019 film about their life. When a group of Cornish fishermen came together to sing the traditional working songs they’d sung for generations, they hoped to raise a few quid for charity. Nobody, least of all the fishermen, expected their story to end on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury. Packed with sea shanties, Fisherman’s Friends is a feelgood voyage about friendship, community and music.
Featuring hit shanties made famous by the band including Keep Haulin’, Nelson’s Blood, No Hopers Jokers & Rogues and many more.
Casting for Fisherman’s Friends the Musical UK and Ireland Tour includes: James Gaddas (Casualty (BBC One), Bad Girls (ITV), Coronation Street (ITV), The Girls, Billy Elliot, Monty Python’s Spamalot, MAMMA MIA! (All West End) will play Jim, with Parisa Shahmir (The Snow Queen (The Rose Theatre), The Last Ship (Northern Stage, UK & Ireland Tour) and MAMMA MIA! (UK Tour) will play his daughter, Alwyn. Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey (Channel 4), Casualty (BBC), Where the Heart Is (ITV) Twelve Angry Men (Garrick Theatre, UK & Ireland Tour) will play Jago with Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire (ITV), Emmerdale (ITV), A Fine Romance (ITV), Three Sisters, The Real Thing, Mr Love, The Maintenance Man, Dangerous Corner and Of Mice and Men (all West End) will play his wife, Maggie. Anton Stephans (finalist in The X FactorITV), Blues Brothers Meet Soul Sisters (Theatre Royal, Windsor), Porgy and Bess (UK Tour), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express (UK Tour) Smokey Joe’s Cafe (1st UK Tour/Broadway and US Tour) will play Leadville.
Further casting to be announced.
The UK & Ireland Tour follows a highly successful, sold-out season at Hall for Cornwall, where box office records were smashed, making it the biggest selling production in Hall for Cornwall’s 25-year history. The production will also make its North American premiere in Toronto this Christmas in the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Fisherman’s Friends the musical is directed by James Grieve and written by Amanda Whittington with choreography by Matt Cole, musical direction by James Findlay, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, musical supervision and arrangements by David White, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Johanna Town and casting by Jim Arnold.
