A scene from a previous production of The Choir Of Man, whose first tour is bound for Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard
FULL casting is in place for The Choir Of Man, whose first UK & Ireland tour will play the Grand Opera House, York, from June 30 to July 4.
Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award-nominated worldwide hit will take to the road from March 14, when it opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
The producers have confirmed the participation of the Jungle Choir Community Project, a new nationwide initiative that invites choirs to take part in the production on opening night in every touring city.
Set in The Jungle pub on stage, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have”, where the cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with world-class tap dance and soulful storytelling.
The tour cast will feature Gustav Melbardis as Maestro (The Choir Of Man NCL, Rent); Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet (The Second Woman, Young Vic, The Wind In The Willows, Shakespeare North Playhouse); Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man (The Choir Of Man, West End, Hamilton, UK & Ireland tour); Ben Mabberley as Joker (Calamity Jane, UK tour, Blood Brothers, UK tour) and Rob Godfrey as Beast (The Choir Of Leicester, Aladdin, Wolverhampton Grand).
In the cast too will be Joshua Lloyd as Barman (Chicago, The Lion King, UK & Ireland tours), Sam Walter as Romantic (The Choir Of Man, West End, Kinky Boots, NCL) and Aaron Pottenger as Bore (The Choir Of Man, NCL, Ragtime).
On swing duty will be Sam Ebenezer (The Choir Of Man, West End, The Mousetrap, West End), Jared Leathwood (The Choir Of Man, West End, Billionaire Boy, UK tour), Niall Woodson (The Choir of Man, West End, Frankie’s Guys, UK tour) and Lewis Dragisic (The Choir Of Man, West End, Twelfth Night, UK tour).
Featuring hits from Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry, to name but a few, this uplifting celebration of community and friendship offers “something for everyone – including free beer”!
The Jungle Choir Community Project will involve a search for choirs in each touring city, who will be invited to attend the opening night performance and take part in the show’s final moments.
Participating choirs will be offered discounted tickets and rehearsal materials in advance and will be invited to experience the opening-night performance as part of a wider celebration of music and community. Interested choirs should email officeassistant@kennywax.com.
Nic Doodson, creator and director, says: “The Choir Of Man has always been about individuality, generosity, humour and the joy of making music together, and this company embodies all of that.
“As we take the show around the UK and Ireland for the very first time, it felt vital to open the doors even wider and invite local choirs to raise their voices with us. Every city has its own musical heartbeat, and welcoming those voices into the show on press night is a powerful reminder of why this piece exists: to celebrate community, connection and the extraordinary feeling of singing together.”
The Choir Of Man has played three sold-out seasons at the Sydney Opera House, Australia, and multiple sold-out American and European tours. The show is on its fourth North American tour, playing in 45 cities until March 2026, with the 68 shows including two residencies in West Palm Beach.
The Choir Of Man’s West End journey began in 2021 at the Arts Theatre, where it has enjoyed more than 1,000 performances with many sold-out shows and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play, before concluding its run on January 4 2026.
The Choir Of Man is created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay and directed by Doodson, with musical supervision, vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Jack Blume; movement direction and choreography by Freddie Huddleston; monologues written by Ben Norris; scenic design by Oli Townsend; lighting design by Richard Dinnen; costume design and co-scenic design by Verity Sadler; sound design by Sten Severson and casting by Debbie O’Brien.
The UK Tour is produced by HH Productions, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Global Creative and Kenny Wax, whose collective credits include award-winning shows Six The Musical, Bluey, The Play That Goes Wrong, 42 Balloons, Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas and many more.
The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm, 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm, 7.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.