A REVIVAL of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is coming to Newbury next month, and casting has just been announced.
The Watermill will welcome audiences to a new take on Whistle Down The Wind from Friday, July 22.
The summer show is the first time that the 1996 rock musical, written with Jim Steinman, has been performed in the UK since 2010.
Set in America of 1959, the show is about change as the post-war boom thrives, the civil rights movement grows and the golden age of television has begun.
But, on a farm in rural Louisiana three children are hoping for a miracle.
When Swallow, a teenager struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother, discovers a man hiding out in the family barn she becomes convinced he is Jesus.
In a town where the community will do anything to defend their way of life, the children unite to protect their saviour.
As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow begins to discover who she is and what it means to grow up.
Running until Saturday, September 10, the show will be directed by Tom Jackson Greaves, who has helped create previous Watermill shows including The Jungle Book, Amélie, Sweet Charity, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Borrowers.
The cast includes Chrissie Bhima as Candy, Lewis Cornay and Amos, Lloyd Gorman as Boone, Charlotte Grayson as Ed, Elliot Mackenzie as Snake preacher, and Emma Jane Morton as Ensemble.
Other cast members are Alfie Richards, Robert Tripolino, Toby Webster, Lydia White, Stephanie Elstob.
Other parts will be played by members of the community.
Director Tom says: “The opportunity to bring this incredible story back to the stage after its long absence feels extremely special.
“We have been given the chance to introduce it to audiences anew whilst also creating a brave and fresh interpretation for those who may have seen it before. It’s a real gift.
“Stories of dreams, grief, family and community have universal power and I hope our actor-musician-led revival will engage and surprise our audiences at the most beautiful theatre in the country – The Watermill.”
Tickets are now on sale, and can be ordered by calling the box office on 01635 46044, or logging on to www.watermill.org.uk
