Starlight Express toured the UK 10 years after closing in London's West End. Produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd , the tour opened at The New Wimbledon Theatre on 11th May 2012 followed by its press launch on Monday 14th May 2012. The tour finished in May 2013, and was revived later in the year as the 2013 Asia Tour with predominantly the same cast and production materials.
Production Details[]
This iteration of the touring production that started as the 2003 US Tour, and continued as the UK Tour 2004-2008, had some developments since its last run in New Zealand in 2009. New material was added in the form of "I Do" as a new 11th hour love duet for Pearl and Rusty; Ashley the Smoking Car was replaced by Duvay the Sleeping Car. The deleted number Girls' Rolling Stock was re-introduced, giving Duvay and Buffy a moment in the spotlight.
New contemporary sounding orchestrations were added, taking full advantage of modern sound systems. The lighting system was modernised and updated, including a flying lighting bar used cleverly as a set piece, used to alter the space for scenes such as "Poppa's Blues". This worked as a small nod to the original London staging where the under-side of the bridge was used to enclose the space for this scene. The set also had LED screens across the back of the stage, which were used for graphics to enhance the action onstage.
Bill Kenwright, known for his thrifty production techniques, cast this show almost exclusively from Starlight Express alumni, thereby guaranteeing a skilled, experienced cast that did not require skate training.
Tour Dates[]
| 10 - 19 May | New Wimbledon Theatre |
| 29 May - 16 June | Alhambra Theatre, Bradford |
| 19 - 30 June | Lowry, Salford Quays |
| 3 - 14 July | Playhouse, Edinburgh |
| 17 - 28 July | Liverpool Empire |
| 31 July - 18 Aug | BIC Windsor Hall, Bournemouth |
| 21 Aug - 1 Sept | Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham |
| 4 - 15 Sept | Cliffs Pavilion, Southend |
| 18 - 29 Sept | Venue Cymru, Llandudno |
| 2 - 13 Oct | His Majesty's, Aberdeen |
| 16 - 27 Oct | New Theatre, Hull |
| 30 Oct - 10 Nov | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
| 13 -24 Nov | Empire Theatre, Sunderland |
| 27 Nov - 8 Dec | Mayflower Theatre, Southampton |
| 11 - 29 Dec | New Theatre, Oxford |
| 2013 | |
| 2 - 12 Jan | The Brighton Centre, Brighton |
| 15 - 26 Jan | Princess Theatre, Torquay |
| 29 Jan - 9 Feb | Millennium Forum, Londonderry |
| 12 Feb - 23 Feb | Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin |
| 26 Feb - 9 Mar | Congress Theatre, Eastbourne |
| 26 Mar - 6 Apr | Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol |
| 9 - 20 Apr | Theatre Royal, Norwich |
| 24 Apr - 4 May | Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes |
Musical Numbers[]
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Act 1
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Act 2
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Races[]
| Race 1 | Race 2 | Cancelled Race | World Championship Race |
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Cast and Creatives[]
Creative Team[]
- Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with The Really Useful Group ltd
- Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
- Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Additional Lyrics by David Yazbek
- Designed by John Napier
- Musical Supervision by David Steadman
- Lighting Designer Nick Richings
- Sound Designer Ben Harrison
- Casting by Debbie O'Brien
- Musical Director Dave Rose
- 3D Film Produced for Principal Large Format by Alexandra Ferguson
- 3D Film Directed by Julian Napier
- Additional Projection Design by Mark Howett
- Skating Consultant Michal Fraley
- Associate Director / Choreographer Mykal Rand
- Original London and Broadway Productions Directed by Trevor Nunn
- Direction and Choreography by Arlene Phillips
Costume Makers - Dennis and Shirley Fitzgerald. Head of Wardrobe - Scott Sheady.
Cast[]
| Rusty | Kristofer Harding | Pearl | Amanda Coutts |
| Greaseball | Jamie Capewell | Dinah | Ruthie Stephens |
| Electra | Mykal Rand | Duvay | Kelsey Cobban |
| Poppa | Lothair Eaton | Buffy | Camilla Hardy |
| Hopper 1 | Robert Nurse | Flattop | James Marshall |
| Hopper 2 | Lex Milczarek | Dustin | Gavin Ashbarry |
| Hopper 3 | Glenn Robb | Caboose | Stuart Armfield |
| Purse | Adam Illsley | Ruhrgold | Kris Manuel |
| Wrench | Sarah Riches | Turnov | Andy Barke |
| Joule | Lisa Dahmane | Nintendo | Nick Bower |
| Volta | Louise Lenihan | Prince of Wales | Tristan Adams |
| Trax | Matt King | Voice of Control | Georgina Hagen |
| Swing | Tony Andrade | Swing | Samantha Foker |
| Swing | Aaron Piper | Swing | Darryl Paul |
| Swing | Kerry Stammers | ||
Gallery[]
Media[]
- Daily Record - Edinburgh. Interview with Arlene Phillips.
