Grace Mouat will star as Ella in the previously announced U.K. premiere of the Broadway adaptation of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at Manchester, England's Hope Mill Theatre. The run, postponed from 2020, will begin previews November 1, with opening night set for November 6. Performances will continue through December 11.
Mouat has previously starred in SIX, & Juliet, and Legally Blonde. “I genuinely cannot explain how excited I am to be playing Cinderella," says Mouat in a statement. "It has been a dream of mine to be part of a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, and obviously the film is iconic! I cannot wait to meet the incredible company, and get started on this new version in Manchester. ‘Impossible things are happening every day!’ Pinch me.” Further casting will be announced at a later date.
This retelling of the classic fairytale follows Ella, who lives with her horrible and uncaring stepmother Madame and two stepsisters Charlotte and Gabrielle, and the collision of her world with that of Prince Topher at a ball planned by the scheming advisor Sebastian, and their story as their worlds become entwined.
The production's creative team features venue founders Joseph Houston as director and William Whelton as co-director and choreographer. Also included will be music supervisor Leo Munby, music director Audra Cramer, set and costume designer Elly Wdowski, projection designer George Reeve, lighting designer Aaron J Dootson, and wig designer Richard Mawbey. The production will also feature new musical arrangements by Jason Carr. Casting is by Jane Deitch with artwork by Steph Pyne. Adam Fisher joins the team as sound designer.
Cinderella is the only musical Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote specifically for television. The original broadcast in 1957 starred Julie Andrews and was remade in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren in the title role. The musical is also well-known for its 1997 reboot starring Whitney Houston and Brandy Norwood.
In 2013, a new Broadway version premiered with a book by Douglas Carter Beane that introduced new characters and songs to the story. It received nine Tony Award nominations and one win.
Beane's revision of the show received a one-night concert performance in London in 2019. Hope Mill Theatre's production will be the first fully staged production to be performed in the U.K.
