Final casting is today announced for The Regulars, the headline event of Turn On Fest, Hope Mill Theatre’s 3rd annual LGBTQIA+ festival.
The Regulars, a folk musical, which is being produced and developed by Hope Mill Theatre, has music, lyrics and book by Will Shishmanian, who also heads the cast as Mark Howard.
The musical has been developed with and directed by Miss Hazel Jade.
Mark Howard moves away from his childhood home to a rural, upstate town in search of a new type of family. When he picks up a stockroom position at the town’s local orchard, he’s met with toxic masculinity and comes to terms with his newfound male privilege. During his first day at work, he befriends Dani Thompson, a Black queer woman who is opening her own gay bar. Over time, these two very regular people form and find chosen family in one another and their community.
With a passionate score and a familiar story, The Regulars is a captivating original musical about identity and self-love, reminding us that despite our differences, we are all deserving of acceptance for who we are.
The Regulars will be presented as a concert at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday 29 January before moving to a workshop production at Hope Mill Theatre in 2023.
The cast comprises, Will Shishmanian (he/him (Author and playing Mark), Aiesha Pease (she/her, Dani), Natalie Paris (she/her, Betsy), Idriss Kargbo (he/him, Brandon), Matthew Facchino (he/him, Derrick), Teddy Hinde (they/them, Jax), Mark Lockhart (he/him, Hunter), Amy Fleur (she/her, ensemble), James Markham (he/him, ensemble) and Jordan Walker (he/they, ensemble).
Director of The Regulars, Miss Hazel Jade, said: “I am unbelievably thrilled to showcase Shish’s beautiful songs at Turn On Fest and continue developing The Regulars with Hope Mill! It is a dream to share the world of Amberland with Manchester audiences.”
Hope Mill Theatre will be collaborating with Trans Creative to double bill The Regulars alongside new Trans writing. Trans Social Club, a space for trans and non binary people and allies to come together, socialise and share work in a safe trans friendly space to tell our own stories, will showcase new writing by some of the Northwest’s best trans artists along with up-and-coming new talent.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
