Casting has been announced for the upcoming run of Jeanine Tesori’s VIOLET, opening at London’s Charing Cross Theatre in January 2019.

Kaisa Hammarlund will lead the cast in the title role. Hammarlund recently featured as Alison Bechdel in the acclaimed London transfer of FUN HOME at the Young Vic. Hammarlund’s other major stage credits include the lead role in SWEET CHARITY at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Hammarlund is joined in the principal roles by Matthew Harvey as Monty and Jay Marsh as Flick. Also featuring in the cast is Simbi Akande, Angelica Allen, Kenneth Avery-Clark, Keiron Crook, James Gant, Danny Michael and Janet Mooney. Amy Mepham, Rebecca Nardin and Madeleine Sellman will share the role of Young Violet.

Directed by Shuntaro Fujita, VIOLET is based on Doris Betts’ short story The Ugliest Pilgrim. Set in 1964 America, the show tells the story of a young, disfigured woman who embarks on a journey by bus from North Carolina to Oklahoma in order to be healed. The musical premiered Off-Broadway in 1997 picking up the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. VIOLET was recently revived on Broadway by Roundabout Theatre Company in 2014 starring Sutton Foster.This production opened to unanimous critical acclaim, garnering a Tony nomination for Best Musical Revival. This production will first run in London before transferring to Tokyo, as part of a major collaboration between Charing Cross Theatre and Umeda Arts.

VIOLET features choreography by Cressida Carré, set design by Morgan Large, costume by Jonathan Lipman, lighting by Howard Hudson, sound by Andrew Johnson, and music direction by Dan Jackson.

The musical features a book by Brian Pilgrim with music and lyrics from Jeanine Tesori. Tesori’s stage musicals include CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (currently running at London’s Playhouse Theatre), FUN HOME, SHREK THE MUSICAL and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, all productions that have run professionally in the UK in 2018.

VIOLET runs at Charing Cross Theatre 14th January to 6th April. Tickets are on sale now.