Star-studded The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at The Lowry
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Much
Loved Stars Of Stage And Screen Announced For First Ever UK Tour Of Deborah
Moggach's The
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 'Checking-In'
To The Lowry: Oscar-winning actress Hayley Mills
to star alongside West End and Real Marigold Hotel star Paul Nicholas and
Paula Wilcox. Simon Friend Entertainment today
announces first casting for a brand-new stage adaptation of The Best
Exotic Marigold Hotel. Hayley Mills (Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, Whistle
Down the Wind), Paul Nicholas (Jesus Christ Superstar, BBC 1’s Just
Good Friends, EastEnders), and Paula Wilcox (Thames TV’s Man About The
House, ITV’s Coronation Street) will star in this feel-good tale of love,
adventure, and starting-over which begins a major new UK tour this autumn. Written by Deborah Moggach who now
adapts her bestselling novel 2004’s These Foolish Things for the stage, it
having previously inspired the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated film. The
cherished story will be brought to life on stage at The
Lowry (from Tue 8 to Sat 12 November) and is directed by Lucy
Bailey (Oleanna, UK Tour & West End); Gaslight, UK Tour; Witness for the
Prosecution, London’s County Hall). Since starting her career at the age of
nine, Hayley Mills has shot 33 feature films and has been nominated
for many awards. Hayley was twelve years old when she made her first
feature film, Tiger Bay, and won an Academy Award at the age of thirteen in
1961 for her leading performance in Pollyanna. She went on to star in such
films as The Parent Trap (1961), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Family Way
(1966), Endless Night (1971), and Appointment With Death (1988). Recent screen credits include Moving On
& Pitching In for BBC One; Compulsion for Channel 5 and the feature film,
Last Train to Christmas, directed by Julian Kemp. On stage, Hayley most
recently performed off-Broadway in a new comedy play, Party Face, directed by
Amanda Bearse. Of today’s announcement, Hayley
Mills comments: “I am delighted to join the company of The
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, as this beautiful story of love and the
importance of new beginnings receives a new life as a fantastically feel-good
stage play. Tales that warm the heart and lift the spirit are a much-needed
tonic at this time and I am thrilled to be visiting so many of the UK's
beautiful towns and cities as part of the production's exciting journey,
later this year." Paul Nicholas
became a household favourite in the role of Vince Pinner in the celebrated
British sitcom Just Good Friends which won the BAFTA award for Best Comedy
Series. Paul has continued to star in many TV series including the
evil Gavin Sullivan in EastEnders and can be seen as himself in the
BAFTA-nominated series The Real Marigold Hotel and Marigold On Tour. On stage, Paul’s theatrical
success began more than fifty years ago in 1968 when he originated the role
of Claude in the London premiere of Hair. Following this, in 1972 he
originated the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. He starred as Danny
Zuko in the original West End production of Grease with Elaine Page and as
the Rum Tum Tugger in the original production of Cats. His other leading role
musical credits include The Exorcist UK Tour, Quartet Cheltenham Theatre and
UK tour, Jekyll & Hyde, Barnum, 42nd Street, Singing In The Rain, Dr.
Doolittle, A Christmas Carol, Pirates of Penzance, Tale of Two Cities,
Fiddler On The Roof and Jerry Herman’s Dear World. Most recently, Paul’s theatrical
ventures have included leading roles in The Exorcist directed by Sean Mathias
for a UK tour; Quartet directed by Peter Rowe for the Cheltenham Everyman
Theatre and a UK tour; And Then There Were None directed by Joe Harmston for
a UK tour Paul has also co-produced numerous shows including Grease,
Singing in the Rain, Evita, Pirates of Penzance, Chess and Saturday Night
Fever. In 2021 Paul published his autobiography Musicals, Marigolds & Me
and a three-CD boxset Paul Nicholas Gold featuring his pop and musical career
including Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Hair, and Grease. Paula Wilcox
has had an extensive career in television and theatre and can currently be
seen in the role of series regular Elaine Jones in Coronation Street (ITV)
and as Sandra in Trying Series 1-3 (BBC/ Apple TV). She first came to public
attention after she joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of seventeen
and was offered the part of Beryl in The Lovers, an ITV sitcom written by
Jack Rosenthal and co-starring Richard Beckinsale. A second series and a
feature film followed. Paula then went on to star as Chrissie in Man
About the House opposite Richard O'Sullivan. The series ran for three years,
and she also starred in the feature film of the same name. More recent
television includes Living The Dream (Sky); Upstart Crow (BBC); Girlfriends
(ITV); Mount Pleasant, series 1-6 (Sky); The Smoking Room, series 1-2 (BBC);
Boomers, series 1-2 (BBC); Moving On (BBC); Grantchester (ITV); Still Open
All Hours (BBC); Jonathan Creek (BBC); Doctors (BBC); Emmerdale (ITV). Paula is also
renowned for her career in theatre: her favourite roles have included Miss
Havisham in Great Expectations (Vaudeville Theatre); Ellie in Canary
(Liverpool Everyman, Hampstead Theatre); Shirley in Dreams of Violence (Soho
Theatre); Madame Renaud in La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre); Shirley
Valentine (Duke of York’s); The Queen in The Queen and I (Vaudeville
Theatre); Florence in The Female Odd Couple (Apollo Theatre); Lil in the UK
tour of Kindertransport; and Marjorie Jones in What Shadows (Birmingham Rep &
Park Theatre). Most recently she starred as Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy at
York Theatre Royal. Based on the Sunday Times bestseller
which inspired one of this century’s most treasured films, The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel takes us on a journey to India with an eclectic group of
British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far
from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine
and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in
unexpected and life-changing ways. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a joyous, feel-good comedy about taking risks, finding love, and embracing second chances, even in the most surprising of places. The film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (directed by John Madden) saw its UK theatrical release in 2012. Within two weeks of its cinematic distribution, the film had topped the UK Box Office and went on to become a hit internationally performing as one of the highest-grossing films of 2012 in Australia and New Zealand in addition to the United Kingdom. Thiss tage production of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is produced by Simon Friend, Jenny King, Trafalgar Entertainment and Gavin Kalin. Further casting to be announced. Get ready for the journey of a lifetime! thelowry.com |
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