The Stage

Tamzin Outhwaite to lead Menier’s Sweet Charity

Published Tuesday 15 September 2009 at 15:18 by Alistair Smith

Tamzin Outhwaite is to star as Charity Hope Valentine in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s revival of Tony Award-winning musical Sweet Charity.

She joins a cast which includes Josefina Gabrielle, Tiffany Graves, Paul J. Medford, Ebony Molina and Mark Umbers. Outhwaite’s previous stage credits include Matthew Warchus’ production of Boeing-Boeing at the Comedy Theatre, Breathing Corpses and Flesh Wound for the Royal Court and Oliver! at the London Palladium.

The production will be directed by Matthew White and will begin previews at the south London venue from November 21 with press night on December 2. It will run until March 7, 2010.

With book by Neil Simon, music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, choreography is by Stephen Mear, set design by Tim Shortall, costume design by Matthew Wright, musical supervision and direction by Nigel Lilley, orchestrations by Chris Walker, lighting by David Howe and sound design by Gareth Owen.

Originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, Sweet Charity premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it ran for more than 600 performances. The production won the Tony Award for Best Choreography in the same year. In 1967, the production opened in London at Prince of Wales Theatre, starring Juliet Prowse. The 1969 film version, also directed and choreographed by Fosse, starred Shirley MacLaine and John McMartin.