The Donmar Warehouse has announced the cast for its autumn production of Jason Robert Brown's musical Parade. Helen Anker, Mark Bonnar, Norman Bowman, Bertie Carvel, Shaun Escoffery, Joanna Kirkland, Gary Milner, Steven Page, Malinda Parris, Stuart Matthew Price, Lara Pulver, Zoe Rainey, Celia Mei Rubin, Stephen Webb and Jayne Wisener will all appear in the Rob Ashford-directed production which runs from 14 September-24 November.
Leading lady Pulver, who plays Lucille Frank, previously appeared in Brown's The Last Five Years when it was staged at the Menier Chocolate Factory last summer.
Bowman, Rainey, Rubin and Webb are all veterans of the Donmar production of Guys And Dolls that was such a success at the Piccadilly and on tour. Bowman, who played the part of Sky Masterson in Guys And Dolls, is currently appearing in the Open Air's productions of Lady Be Good and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Carvel, Page, Price and Wisener will all have an unusual experience in this production. For Wisener and Price, it will mark their professional stage debuts, while Carvel, who has previously appeared in productions including The Man Of Mode, The Life Of Galileo and Coram Boy (all National), Parade will be his musical debut. Though Page is a stage veteran, he is more used to performing in operatic surroundings, having appeared with all the major opera companies and orchestras in the UK.
The production will also be a first for director Rob Ashford, who makes his professional directorial debut at the Donmar. Ashford is better known as a choreographer than a director, having previously worked on productions including Guys And Dolls, Evita and Thoroughly Modern Millie, receiving Laurence Olivier Award nominations for each.
Parade tells the story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man from Brooklyn accused of murdering a young factory worker in 1913. A tale of enduring love and hope against all odds, it follows his wife's crusade for justice amid press frenzy, public hatred, religious intolerance and racial tension.
MA