The critically acclaimed Irish production of Angela’s Ashes – The Musical will make its UK premiere this autumn, playing the Ashcroft Theatre at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls from Tuesday 24 September – Saturday 5 October.
With music and lyrics by Adam Howell and book by Paul Hurt, this major musical adaptation of Frank McCourt’s best-selling memoir is directed by Thom Southerland and tells the remarkable story of the author’s childhood in Limerick and of the McCourt family’s inspirational rise from adversity to triumph.
As his parents struggle to provide for him and his brothers in 1940s Ireland, we follow young Frank’s escapades and experiences in a Dickensian landscape peopled by a drunken father, a helpless mother, pompous priests, bullying schoolmasters and money-lenders culminating in his defiant escape to a new life in America.
Irish musical theatre legend Jacinta Whyte returns to the production to star as ‘Angela’, alongside Eoin Cannon as Frank and Marty Maguire as ‘Malachy’.
The full cast includes Norma Sheahan as ‘Mrs Finucane’, Amanda Minihan as ‘Grandma’, Bryan Burroughs as ‘Quasimodo’, Connor Gormley as ‘Malachy Jnr’, Fiona Browne as ‘Nora’, Michael Joseph as ‘Billy Heffernan’, David O’Meara as ‘Uncle Pat’, Mark O’Regan as ‘Mr Griffin’, Brigid Shine as ‘Theresa Carmody’ and Cáit Moloney as ensemble.
Thom Southerland said, “I’m delighted that Angela’s Ashes is coming to the Fairfield Halls – my local theatre. We worked on the show two years ago in Ireland and did a small tour, but we’ve always had hopes and aspirations that it would come to the UK and I couldn’t be more pleased that it’s making its UK premiere in Croydon!”
