London’s National Theatre has announced plans to live broadcast its upcoming revival of the 1971 Stephen Sondheim–James Goldman musical Follies in cinemas across the globe November 16, Playbill has confirmed.
The production boasts a cast including Imelda Staunton as Sally Durant Plummer, Janie Dee as Phyllis Rogers Stone, Peter Forbes Buddy Plummer, and Philip Quast as Ben Stone.
Directed by Dominic Cooke, Follies begins previews August 22. The production features a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21.
The cast also features Tracie Bennett as Carlotta Campion, Di Botcher as Hattie Walker, Dawn Hope as Stella Deems, Geraldine Fitzgerald as Solange Lafitte, Josephine Barstow as Heidi Schiller, Norma Attallah as Emily Whitman, Billy Boyle as Theodore Whitman, Gary Raymond as Dimitri Weismann, Bruce Graham as Roscoe, Alex Young as Young Sally, Zizi Strallen as Young Phyllis, Adam Rhys-Charles as Young Ben, and Fred Haig as Young Buddy.
Set within a decaying theatre, Follies centers on a reunion of former follies girls who reunite to relive their past, and rehash old wounds and regrets. Harold Prince co-directed the legendary 1971 original production of Follies with the late Michael Bennett, who also choreographed. Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning score, a mix of pastiche and complex, character-driven material features “I'm Still Here,” “Broadway Baby,” “Losing My Mind,” “The Right Girl” and “Too Many Mornings.”
Completing the company of Follies are Julie Armstrong (Sandra Crane), Jeremy Batt (Chorus Boy), Anouska Eaton (Young Emily), Liz Ewing (Company), Emily Goodenough (Showgirl), Adrian Grove (Sam Deems), Aimee Hodnett (Young Hattie), Liz Izen (Deedee West), Alison Langer (Young Heidi), Emily Langham (Young Carlotta), Sarah-Marie Maxwell (Young Solange), Ian McLarnon (Company), Leisha Mollyneux (Young Stella), Gemma Page (Christine Donovan), Kate Parr (Young Sandra), Edwin Ray (Chorus Boy), Jordan Shaw (Chorus Boy), Barnaby Thompson (Chorus Boy), Christine Tucker (Young Deedee), and Michael Vinsen (Chorus Boy).
The National production of Follies has production designs by Vicki Mortimer, choreography by Bill Deamer, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, musical direction by Nigel Lilley, lighting design by Paule Constable, and sound design by Paul Groothuis.
Visit nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/follies.
View highlights from the 2011 Broadway revival below:
