South Pacific musical gearing up for UK tour

Producers of Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of South Pacific have announced the musical will open at Manchester Opera House on 16th July 2022 ahead of a month-long season at London’s Sadler’s Wells theatre from 27th July to 28th August 2022. 

Dublin, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Canterbury are among the stops on the run, with Julian Ovenden and Gina Beck reprising their roles as Emile de Becque and Ensign Nellie Forbush respectively. 

Following its sell-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre throughout the summer of 2021, producers Jamie Wilson and Jonathan Church, said: “After experiencing the buzz of the auditorium in Chichester, along with the rapturous applause and standing-ovations, we knew that this production of South Pacific just had to have a further life so that the magic of it could be enjoyed by everyone.”

Daniel Evans and Kathy Bourne, artistic and executive directors of Chichester Festival Theatre respectively, added: ‘We are always delighted to be able to share work made in Chichester beyond the borders of Sussex, and we’re proud to be working with our friends at Sadler’s Wells and many other regional theatres to bring Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical to wider audiences across the country.”

This love story, set on a South Pacific Island during World War Two is brought to life with a cast of over 30 and a full orchestra. The show boasts one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most memorable scores, and this much-loved Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features songs such as Some Enchanted Evening, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair and Bali Ha’i.

Julian Ovenden is perhaps best known for playing Charles Blake in ITV’s Downton Abbey and Gina Beck’s many West End credits include Miss Honey in Matilda, Glinda in Wicked and Magnolia in Show Boat.