FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR MADE AT CURVE PRODUCTION OF
TIM RICE AND ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S
EVITA
MARTHA KIRBY AS EVA PERÓN
TYRONE HUNTLEY AS CHE
GARY MILNER AS PERÓN
CHUMISA DORNFORD-MAY AS MISTRESS
DAN PARTRIDGE AS MAGALDI
Directed by Nikolai Foster
27 NOVEMBER 2023 – 13 JANUARY 2024
Press night – Friday 1 December, 7pm
Watch Martha Kirby perform ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’
Leicester’s Curve theatre has announced the full company joining its new Made at Curve production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, running 27 November 2023 to 13 January 2024.
Joining the previously announced Martha Kirby as Eva Perón and Tyrone Huntley as Che will be Gary Milner (The Third Man, Menier Chocolate Factory; Doctor Zhivago, The Broadway Theater) as Perón and Chumisa Dornford-May (Aspects of Love, Lyric Theatre) as Mistress and cover Eva Perón. Dan Partridge, who since 2019 has starred as Danny Zuko in Curve’s hit production of Grease the Musical in the West End and on UK tour, joins the cast as Magaldi.
The company will be completed by Tia Antoine-Charles, Jacob Atkins, Tanisha-Mae Brown (cover Mistress), Harrison Burley, Harry Chandler (cover Che), Shona Eaton, Jacob Fisher (cover Magaldi), Olivia Foster Browne, Ashley Gilmour (cover Perón), Jack Harrison-Cooper, Jordan Isaac, Tamsin January, Fallon Mondlane, Samuel Routley, Toby Seddon, Darcey Simmons, and Rebecca Wickes.
The Made at Curve production of Evita will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Billy Elliot the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, A Chorus Line), with set design by Michael Taylor (Billy Elliot the Musical), musical supervision from Stephen Brooker (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, White Christmas), Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Funny Girl, UK tour) and choreography by World Choreography Award-winning Adam Murray (Rocketman, Cruella, The King’s Man). The production team will also include Costume Designer Edd Lindley (Billy Elliot the Musical), Lighting Designer Joshie Hariette (Sucker Punch), Sound Designer Adam Fisher (The Wizard of Oz), and Wigs, Hair and Make-up Designer Sam Cox. Casting is by late Curve Associate Kay Magson CDG and Olivia Laydon.
An nine-piece band led by musical director Ben van Tienen (La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), will bring the show’s score to life with sponsorship from musical licensing company PPL.
Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:
“We are thrilled to welcome such a terrific company of performers to join us this Christmas at Curve for our production of Evita. With Martha Kirby, Tyrone Huntley, Gary Milner, Chumisa Dornford-May and Dan Partridge at the helm, we cannot wait to see this phenomenal cast raise Curve’s roof with Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s epic musical.
“This production is dedicated to our Curve Associate Artist and Casting Director of Evita, Kay Magson, who recently passed away. Kay worked on the casting of most of our Made at Curve productions over the past decade, delivering astonishing artists to our stages and often helping young actors make their stage debuts. Kay wasn’t able to complete casting on Evita, but secured Martha and Tyrone and laid the groundwork for the fantastic casting director Olivia Laydon to join us.
“We are all looking forward to getting started and creating an extra special Christmas show that Leicester can be proud of.”
Accessible performances will be available throughout the run of Evita, including Audio Described performances on Friday 15 December at 7:30pm (with a Touch Tour from 6pm) and Thursday 11 January 2024 at 2:15pm (with a Touch Tour from 12:45pm). The performance on Tuesday 19 December at 7:30pm will be British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreted, and performances on Wednesday 20 December at 7:30pm and Thursday 28 December 2:15pm will be Captioned. A Relaxed performance, for those who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, will take place on Saturday 6 January 2024 at 2:15pm. A Dementia Friendly performance, tailored to support audience members living with Dementia, their families, friends and carers, will take place on Wednesday 10 January 2024 at 2:15pm.
Curve will also provide a range of workshops, learning opportunities and digital resources around the production, as well as a Theatre Day on Thursday 7 December at 10am, offering audiences the chance to see behind-the-scenes and hear from those involved in the show. Tickets for the Theatre Day are available to book now. To find out more about learning opportunities around Evita at Curve, email learning@curvetheatre.co.uk
This year Nikolai Foster directs an unmissable new Made at Curve production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical, Evita.
As Eva Duarte, a child born into poverty, she followed her dreams of becoming an actress. As Eva Perón, she captured the hearts of Argentina’s working classes, broke new ground for women in politics and became the most powerful woman in Latin America.
Follow the wild days and mad existence of one of history’s most glamorous, glorified and divisive figures in this multi-award-winning musical, which features countless unforgettable songs including ‘Buenos Aires’, ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’, ‘Oh What a Circus’ and the anthemic ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’.
Tickets for Evita are now on-sale. To find out more and book, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.
EVITA
LYRICS BY TIM RICE MUSIC BY ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER DIRECTED BY NIKOLAI FOSTER
ORCHESTRATIONS BY DAVID CULLEN AND ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
BASED ON ORCHESTRATION ORIGINALLY BY ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP LTD
About the cast:
About Martha Kirby
Training: Guildford School of Acting.
Previous theatre credits include: Raven in Bat Out Of Hell (UK tour); Bella Cohen in Rags (Park Theatre) and Sandy in Grease (UK tour).
Instagram – @marthakirby
About Tyrone Huntley
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Previous theatre credits include: Living Newspaper (Royal Court); [title of show] (London Coliseum); The View UpStairs (Soho Theatre); Leave to Remain (Lyric, Hammersmith); 21 Chump Street (The Courtyard Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Watermill Theatre); Angry (Southwark Playhouse); Homos, Or Everyone in America (The Finborough Theatre); Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre); Sondheim on Sondheim (Royal Festival Hall); The Color Purple (Cadogan Hall); Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Memphis the Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre); Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre); Sister Act the Musical (National Tour) and Hairspray (Curve).
Previous TV and film credits include: A Small Light (Disney Plus/National Geographic); The Flatshare (Paramount Plus); Play in a Day (Sky Arts); EastEnders (BBC); Tomorrow Morning (Visualise Film) and Small Axe (BBC/Amazon).
Other credits include: New in Town (University of Southern California); Backseat (American Film Institute).
Instagram – @tyr1h
About Gary Milner
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Previous theatre credits include: Baron Kurtz in THE THIRD MAN (Menier Chocolate Factory); Herr Schultz in Cabaret (Lido 2. Paris); Broadway: Dr Zhivago; Regional theatre: Jessel/Edens in Chasing Rainbows (GoodSpeed); Harry in Mamma Mia, Mr.Banks in Mary Poppins (North Carolina Theatre); Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Playmakers Rep); West End: Sam in Mamma Mia, Pericles (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Dr Ackerman in Love Story (Duchess Theatre); Jeff Moss in Bells are Ringing (Union Theatre); The Crucible, (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Rufus in Imagine This, A Streetcar Named Desire, Britt Craig/John Slaton in Parade (Donmar Warehouse); Magaldi in Evita (Adelphi Theatre); Fred Casely in Chicago (Adelpi Theatre).
Previous TV and film credits include: TV: The Crowded Room, Instinct, The Good Fight, Elementary, Deadbeat, PeterPan Live, Law And Order SVU, Eastenders, Dr Who, The Bill, MI5, Murphy’s Law.
Film: Time to Pay Off Debts, The Preppie Connection, Emily And Tim, Dead Europe, John Carter of Mars.
About Chumisa Dornford-May
Training: Mountview Academy for Theatre Arts (2023) – Elaine Paige Scholarship for Excellence in Musical Theatre.
Previous theatre credits include: Aspects of Love (Lyric Theatre).
About Dan Partridge
Training: Arts Educational Schools London
Previous theatre credits include: Danny Zuko in Grease (Dominion Theatre 2022/2023 and UK Tour); Rum Tum Tugger in CATS (European Tour & South Korea Tour); Link Larkin in Hairspray (UK Tour); Prince Charming in Cinderella (Northampton); Cover Rusty and Electra in Starlight Express (Germany); Pepper in Mamma Mia! (West End); Prince Antonio in Sleeping Beauty (Richmond).
Previous TV and film credits include: Archie (ITV/Britbox); Casualty (BBC); Doctors (BBC), Best Actor winner at ‘This is England’ film festival in Rouen, France for Été (Dir. Gregory Oke, Prod. Charlotte Wells).
Social Media:
Instagram @ Danpartridge
Twitter @ Danpartridge1
About Tia Antoine-Charles
Training: ArtsEd BA Musical Theatre 2020-2023
Previous theatre credits include: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tour); South Pacific (UK tour).
Other credits include: Oliviers 2023 (Royal Albert Hall); Let’s Face the Music with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Royal Albert Hall).
About Jacob Atkins
Training: Emil Dale Academy (BA Hons)
Previous theatre credits include: Kirk in Kin: A New Musical (The Other Palace); Prince Charming in Cinderella (Eric Morcambe Centre); Soloist in Night of the Musicals (The Other Palace).
Other credits include: Credits while training: John Wilkes Booth in Assassins; Glen in The Wedding Singer; Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing; Cliff in Cabaret.
Social Media:
Instagram: jakeatkins18
About Tanisha-Mae Brown
Training: Arts Educational School
Previous theatre credits include: The Lion King (UK and Ireland tour); A Mother’s Song (The Lowry); Chicago (UK and Ireland tour); Pippin (The Garden Theatre). On The Town (BBC Proms); West Side Story (BBC Proms); 2019 Olivier Awards.
Credits whilst training include: Freaky Friday, Legally Blonde, 110 In The Shade, A Simple Faust, Confusions.
Instagram- @tanishamaee
About Harrison Burley
Training: Bird College
Previous theatre credits include: Cinderella In-The-Round (English National Ballet / Royal Albert Hall); Beauty and the Beast (Forum Theatre, Billingham); Andy Lee in 42nd Street (Bird College); Roger in RENT (Bird College).
Other credits include: Moulin Rouge – All England Dance Gala (London Coliseum).
Social Media handles:
Instagram- @hburley_
About Harry Chandler
Training: London School of Musical Theatre
About Shona Eaton
Training: ArtsEd
Previous theatre credits include: Young Frankenstein (English Theatre Frankfurt); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour).
Credits whilst training include: Mae in The Wild Party; Cover Billie Bendix in Nice Work If You Can Get It.
Previous TV and film credits include: Doctors (BBC); Nolly (ITV); Kwik Fit – First Taste of Freedom (Commercial); Nativity! (Mirrorball Films).
Other credits include: Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (Birmingham); On the Town (BBC Proms); The Laurence Oliver Awards (Royal Albert Hall); Josh Groban Concert (UK Tour).
Social Media handles:
Instagram: @shona.eaton
About Jacob Fisher
Training: ArtsEd
Previous theatre credits include: Albert DaSilva in Disney’s Newsies (Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre); Sailor Quartet in Anything Goes (UK Tour & Barbican Theatre, West End); Harry the Horse in Guys and Dolls (Sheffield Crucible); Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Kilworth House Theatre); Ensemble/Cover Matthew Mugg in Doctor Dolittle (UK Tour); Issachar/Cover Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Kilworth House Theatre); The Selfish Giant (Royal & Derogate Theatre, Northampton & Vaudeville Theatre, West End); Ensemble/Cover Eugene in Eugenius! The Musical (The Other Palace Theatre); Matador Ancestor/Cover Lucas Beineke & Puggsley Addams in The Addams Family Musical (UK Tour & Singapore); Ensemble/Cover Pepper in Mamma Mia! The Musical (UK Tour); Jeb/Cover Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Regents Park Open Air Theatre).
Previous TV and film credits include: The Olivier Awards – Disney’s Newsies (ITV); Big Night of Musicals – Disney’s Newsies (BBC); The Royal Variety Performance – Disney’s Newsies (ITV); The Olivier Awards – Anything Goes (ITV); Remember to Forget – Music Video (Passenger); Tonight at the London Palladium – The Addams Family (ITV); The Olivier Awards – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (ITV).
Other credits include: One Enchanted Evening (Glastonbury Abbey); Berlusconi the Musical – Workshop (London); BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night – We Can Be Heroes (The Mermaid Theatre, London); The Busker’s Opera – Workshop (London).
Social Media: Instagram/Threads – @jacoboliverfisher
Twitter – @jacoboliverfish
About Olivia Foster Brown
Training: Bird College of Dance, Music & Theatre Performance.
Previous theatre credits include: Frenchy in Grease (Dominion Theatre); Cover Michelle in Dreamgirls (UK Tour); Ange in Never Lost at Home (New Wolsey Theatre); 1st cover Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon (Sonia Friedman Productions Ltd).
About Ashley Gilmour
Training: ArtsEd
Previous theatre credits include: No For an Answer (Arcola Theatre); Les Miserables (Sondheim Theatre) Miss Saigon (UK tour & Prince Edward Theatre); Hairspray (UK Tour); Bare (Greenwich Theatre
Previous TV and film credits include: Walliams & Friends (BBC)
About Jordan Isaac
Training: Urdang Academy
Previous theatre credits include: Assistant Dance Captain/Swing in Grease (Dominion Theatre).
Previous TV and film credits include: Assistant Dance Captain/Swing in Grease (Dominion Theatre); Assistant Dance Captain/Swing in Newsies The Musical (Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre); Dance Captain/ Ensemble in World Premiere cast of Identical The Musical (Nottingham Playhouse & The Lowry, Manchester); Ensemble in Mamma Mia (Berlin); Claud in What A Palaver (Workshop); Ensemble in Bring It On (London Southbank Centre); Ensemble in “Festival Jardins Pedralbes Barcelona De Broadway a Hollywood’’ (Royal Gardens, Barcelona); Dancer in Courtney Act Under the Covers (Underbelly Festival, London); Dancer in AJ Pritchard’s Get On The Floor (UK Tour); Swing in Mary Poppins (Germany); Ensemble in My Little Musical Rainbow Rocks (Asia Tour); Ensemble in That’s Entertainment (UK Tour).
Other credits include: Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 (Dancer); Boss Tea Commercial (Dancer)
About Jack Harrison-Cooper
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Previous theatre credits include: Cover Danny & Kenickiein Grease (Dominion Theatre, London); Cover Aaron in The Prince Of Egypt (Dominion Theatre, London); Cover George in The Wedding Singer (Daegu Opera House, South Korea); Chistery and cover Boq in Wicked (UK & Ireland Tour); Warner in Legally Blonde (Daegu Opera House); Cover Emmett in Legally Blonde (Curve); Gremio in Kiss Me Kate (Théâtre Du Châtelet, Paris); Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre, London).
Previous TV and film credits include: Leerie/Aniamation Dancerin Mary Poppins Returns (Disney); Galavant (ABC Studios); Miss Saigon 25th Anniversary Live (Universal/Cameron Mackintosh); Murder in Mind (BBC); Sky Interactive (Sky TV).
Social Media handles:
Twitter – JackHCooper_
About Fallon Mondlane
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Previous theatre credits include: Ride – A New Musical (Curve and Southwark Playhouse); The Lion King (UK Tour); What’s New Pussycat? (Birmingham Rep); Magic at the Musicals (Palace Theatre)
About Samuel Routley
Training: The Urdang Academy
Previous theatre credits include: Ricky and cover Sonny, Johnny Casino and Eugenein Grease (Dominion Theatre); European Premiere of Head Over Heels (Hope Mill Theatre); Luisin West Side Story (Festival Ljubljana); Mike Lloyd and cover Jimmy Osmondin The Osmonds: A New Musical (UK and Ireland Tour); Ensemble and cover Tick/Mitzi and Miss Understanding in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK Tour).
Previous TV and film credits include: Disney’s Enchanted (Disney)
About Toby Seddon
Training: Training: ArtsEd BA (Hons) Musical Theatre, Royal Ballet School Lower School, Royal Ballet School Upper School
Previous theatre credits include: Beadle Bamfordin Sweeney Todd (ArtsEd); Ensemble/Dance Captain in A Chorus Line (ArtsEd); Toy Soldier in The Nutcracker (Royal Opera House).
Other credits include: Ivor Novello Awards (London Palladium), Doctor Zhivago (London Palladium), Olivier Awards 2023 (Royal Albert Hall).
Social Media handles:
@tobymseddon
About Darcey Simmons
Training: Bodyworks, The Urdang Academy
Previous theatre credits include: Grease (Dominion Theatre)
Previous TV and film credits include: The Masked Dancer (ITV); The Brit Awards 2023.
Other credits include: Dreamboats and Petticoats (commercial); Olly Murs UK Tour ‘screens shoot’; Joy Awards (Saudi Arabia) for Rema, Capital Jingle Bell Ball; Music Video ‘Potions’ with Calvin Harris ft Due Lipa; MTV Ema Awards: Imagine Dragons, Muluma, Ava Max & David Guetta, Bebe Rexa; Capital Summertime Ball; GRM Rated Awards K Trap & Blade.
Social Media: @Darceysimmons_
About Rebecca Wickes
Training: The Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Theatre credits include: Ensemble, cover Meat and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You (London Coliseum); Katherine Howard in Six (UK tour and South Korea); Millennials (The Other Palace Studio); Veronica Sawyer in Heathers the Musical (UK Tour); Lead Vocalist for Dirty Dancing In Concert (UK Tour); Katherine Howard in Six (NCL) and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You (Royal Caribbean Productions).
Workshops credits include: Natalie in Halls The Musical (A new musical by Jennifer Harrison & George Stroud).
TV credits include: Big Night Of Musicals by The National Lottery 2023 (BBC) and Britain’s Got Talent (ITV).
Social media:
Instagram @beccawickes
Twitter: rebecca_wickes
Photos credit: Marc Brenner