Beginning July 11, Damian Humbley will be the new Walter Hartright; Alexandra Silber will begin playing Laura Fairlie; Elinor Collett will be the new woman in white, Anne Catherick; and Michael Cormick will begin his run as Sir Percival Glyde. Anthony Andrews continues in the role of Count Fosco, which was created by Michael Crawford.
Both Damian Humbley and Alexandra Silber will be making their West End debuts. Humbley has performed such musicals as Oliver!, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Merrilly We Roll Along in his native Australia. Silber comes to the West End after completing her training at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Elinor Collett played Sophie in the West End production of Mamma Mia! and was also seen as Fantine in the London cast of Les Misérables. Michael Cormick, also from Australia, has been seen in the West End productions of The Phantom of the Opera and Calamity Jane.
The Woman in White features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by David Zippel and a book by Charlotte Jones. The remainder of the creative team comprises William Dudley (set and costume design), Paul Pyant (lighting design), Mick Potter (sound design), Wayne McGregor (dance and movement) and Simon Lee (musical supervisor). The musical began previews at the newly refurbished Palace Theatre Aug. 28, 2004, with an official opening Sept. 15. Trevor Nunn directs.
According to production notes, The Woman in White concerns "a dashing young man, employed as the art tutor to two devoted sisters, [who] is stranded at a remote railway cutting. Out of the darkness looms a woman, a mysterious figure dressed in white, desperate to share a chilling secret. He and the sisters soon find themselves trapped in a web of betrayal and greed, the victims of a seemingly flawless crime. Together they will need all their resourcefulness and courage to outwit a hugely charismatic and ingenious villain. As the compelling plot twists and turns, low villainy vies with high romance in a world where nothing is as it first appears and where it is impossible to know who to trust."
For more information about The Woman in White visit www.womaninwhitethemusical.com.
