Darren Day and Niki Evans (pictured below) are set to star in the first UK tour of William Finn's Tony Award Winning musical comedy 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' later this year.
Spelling Bee is a musical comedy which centres on the lives of six quirky adolescents who have entered into the 'Bee', a competition that asks the contestants to spell a variety of words, usually with a broad degree of difficulty, which is run by three equally as quirky grown-ups.
Darren Day, who is best known for his leading roles in West End and touring productions of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Summer Holiday, We Will Rock You and television work including 'Danny Houston' in Hollyoaks, will play 'Vice Principle Panch', a senior member of the judging panel who has recently returned to the competition after five years with a fresh outlook on life, all thanks to his high-fibre diet and his unrequited love of fellow judge and previous 'Bee' Champion, 'Rona Lisa Piretti' played by Evans. Niki found fame on ITV's X Factor and went on to star as 'Mrs Johnstone' in the West End and touring productions of 'Blood Brothers'. Most recently she played 'Paulette' in the Legally Blonde UK Tour.
The full cast includes: Rhys Owen as Mitch Mahoney, Ellie Mason as Olive Ovstrokvsky, Thomas Mackley as William Barfee, Janette McManus as Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, Arina II as Marcy Park, Ross Cobbald as Leaf Coneybear and Joshua Dowen as Chip Tolentino.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 2005 and won two of its six Tony Award Nominations. Since then it has spurred various productions including a US National Tour and a production in Australia. London's Donmar Warehouse gave the musical its UK premiere in 2011.
Theatre Company, Patch of Blue presented the musical at last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival directed by Alex Howarth who returns to direct this up-scaled production.
'Spelling Bee' will open at Harlow Playhouse on 3rd - 5th October before touring the UK for six weeks including Croydon, Barnstaple, Kettering, High Wycombe, Crawley, Blackpool, Jersey and Eastbourne.
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