MTFestUK 2025 has revealed the cast for its four new musicals, set to be showcased at The Other Palace Studio from April 4 to April 17, 2025. This year’s lineup features an impressive array of talent, including Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Hadestown, Cinderella), Hannah Lowther (Heathers, SIX), Obioma Ugoala (Hamilton, Frozen), Courtney Stapleton (SIX), Dean John-Wilson (Your Lie in April, The King and I), Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Newsies), Iván Fernández González (Heathers), and Sarah O’Connor (Wicked, Frozen).
MTFestUK, which has been a platform for fresh and innovative musical theatre since its inception in 2019, returns this year to spotlight four new musicals. These productions will be workshopped and presented in sharing sessions, inviting audiences to support, explore, and engage with new musical theatre in its various stages of development.
Love Can
Written by Charli Eglinton, directed by Dean Johnson, and musical directed by Jenny Deacon, Love Can is a vibrant, bittersweet anthology of four stories. Set in a hidden corner of Central London, a curious vending machine offers temporary companions to fill the gaps in your life – a partner, a parent, a great boss, or even a lost loved one. The cast includes Madeline Charlemagne (Hadestown) as Lauren / Robyn, Jonathan Andrew Hume (Come From Away) as Brody / George, Gracie Lai (Your Lie in April) as Mrs Caldwell / Sasha, Charlie McCullagh (42 Balloons) as Tristan / Connor, and Courtney Stapleton (SIX) as Sydney / Alice.
MORE
Written by Mahlon Prince, directed by Lakesha Arie-Angelo, and musical directed by Shiloh Coke, MORE reimagines Great Expectations in modern-day London. Blending hip-hop, soul, and R&B, this musical follows Pip, a young man of Caribbean descent, whose parents are trapped in the Windrush Scandal. The cast includes Mahlon Prince as Pip, Obioma Ugoala (Hamilton) as Joe, Lauren Azania (Hadestown) as Biddy / Havisham, Dujonna Gift (TWO STRANGERS (Carry A Cake Across New York)) as Estella, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Newsies) as Herbert, and Raphael Bushay (Oklahoma!) as Magwitch / Wopsle / Jaggers / Bentley.
NERDS
With music by Hal Goldberg, book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton & Erik Weiner, and directed by Nick Winston, NERDS is a hilarious musical comedy about the birth of the digital age. It follows Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they rise from humble garage beginnings to global tech dominance. The cast includes Dean John-Wilson (Your Lie in April) as Gates, Kane Oliver Parry (Matilda) as Jobs, Elliott Evans (Back to the Future) as Allen, Chad Saint Louis (Cry-Baby) as Woz, Teleri Hughes (Heathers) as Sally, Hannah Lowther (SIX) as Myrtle, Iván Fernández González (Heathers) as Tim Patterson / Dustin / Henchman, and Sarah O’Connor (Frozen) as Tom Watson / Thekla.
Theatre Mum
Written by Rory Svensson, with music and lyrics by Helen Greenham, directed by Vicky Gimby, and musical directed by Helen Greenham, Theatre Mum stars Olivier & Grammy-nominated Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Hadestown, Cinderella). This one-woman musical follows Kit, a musical theatre actor stuck in a rut, determined to land a leading role while dealing with personal and professional challenges.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
