Former X Factor winner Joe McElderry will make his West End debut playing the title role in the forthcoming concert performance of Tommy at the Prince Edward Theatre. The Who's rock opera is being revived on 12th November in aid of the Pure Theatre Development Fund. Last month Joe also joined a charity gala performance of the UK tour of Dirty Dancing.
Joe, who won the 2009 series of X Factor, joins a cast that also includes Daniel Boys (Captain Walker), Hannah Jane Fox (Mrs Walker), David Hunter (Cousin Kevin), Glenn Carter (Uncle Ernie) and Zoe Birkett (The Acid Queen).
Directed by Raz Shaw, the concert performance will be choreographed by Steve Kirkham (replacing Adam Cooper, who has withdrawn), with musical supervision by Iain Vince Gatt and musical direction by Andrew Hilton.
Joe McElderry said: "I'm very excitied to make my West End debut in the iconic rock opera Tommy; I have been wating for a role that would challenge both my acting and singing skills, this has both. I am a big fan of The Who and it is incredible that Pete Townshend wrote this piece when he was 21, the same age as me."
First performed by The Who in 1969, Tommy centres on a troubled child who becomes deaf, dumb and blind, but later gains the respect of his peers when he’s revealed as a pinball champion.
A film of The Who’s original album was made in 1975 by Ken Russell. The subsequent stage show won three Tony Awards on Broadway in 1993 and, in London, won the 1997 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production.
Visit www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Tickets/Tommy to buy tickets
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