With just over a week until opening night, there has been a major cast change to the eagerly awaited West End premiere of Broken Wings.
Nikita Johal, fresh from playing the lead role of Wendla in the acclaimed “Spring Awakening” at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre, is replacing Hiba Elchikhe (Princess Jasmine in the Australian production of Disney’s “Aladdin”) as Selma. Hiba has withdrawn from the production for personal reasons.
Broken Wings, an autobiographical tale of tragic love based on Lebanese-born poet Kahlil Gibran’s 1912 masterpiece, with Book Music & Lyrics by West End star Nadim Naaman (“The Phantom of the Opera”) and Music and Lyrics by Dana Al Fardan, one of the Middle East’s leading contemporary composers, will premiere as a semi-staged production with 9-piece orchestra, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from August 1 – 4.
Co-Writer Nadim Naaman leads the cast as the iconic Gibran, the show’s narrator, with Rob Houchen (Marius in the West End production of “Les Misérables” and “Titanic” at Charing Cross Theatre) as Gibran’s teenage self.
Nadim said: “Nikita, who was preparing to understudy the role, will now play Selma. It feels wonderful to have promoted from within the company, she is an amazing talent and we are delighted that Broken Wings will mark her West End debut.”
