Theater News

London Production of Controversial Oklahoma! Announces Full Cast

The revival from director Daniel Fish is hopping across the pond.

Patrick Vaill played Jud Fry in the Broadway revival of Oklahoma!, and will reprise his role in London.
Patrick Vaill played Jud Fry in the Broadway revival of Oklahoma!, and will reprise his role in London.
(© Little Fang Photo)

Complete casting has now been revealed for the Young Vic's previously announced transfer of the 2019 Broadway staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, which is scheduled to run from April 26 through June 25.

The London production will be led by Anoushka Lucas (as Laurey Williams) and Arthur Darvill (as Curly McLain), alongside Patrick Vaill (reprising his Broadway role as Jud Fry), Liza Sadovy (as Aunt Eller), and Marisha Wallace (as Ado Annie).

The company is completed by Raphael Bushay (as Mike), Greg Hicks (as Andrew Carnes), Rebekah Hinds (as Gertie Cummings), Ashley Samuels (as Cord Elam), and Marie Mence (as the lead dancer).

Darvill commented: "I am thrilled to be pulling up my cowboy boots and joining the cast of Oklahoma! This is one of those parts that comes along once in a lifetime. I feel very lucky indeed to be working on this groundbreaking production with such an extraordinary group of people."

Lucas said: "I feel so incredibly lucky to be playing Laurey in such a fresh, raw and original production of one of my all-time favourite musicals. I grew up watching Oklahoma! on screen and on stage, so the fact that I now get to be part of this magnificent reimagining (and at the Young Vic!) is a dream come true. I cannot wait."

Arthur Darvill and Anoushka Lucas will play Curly and Laurey in Oklahoma!
Arthur Darvill and Anoushka Lucas will play Curly and Laurey in Oklahoma!

Directed by Daniel Fish, the acclaimed production – which took home the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2019 – reimagines the show for the 21st century, telling a story of "a community banding together against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America." Fish's unexpected take is widely viewed as controversial for its unexpected touches: a community hall setting with gun racks hanging on the walls, contemporary costumes, bluegrass orchestrations, and an experimental dream ballet performed by a single dancer.

An associate director on the Broadway run, Jordan Fein has been added as co-director of the London production.

Orchestrations and arrangements are by Daniel Kluger with co-music supervision by Kluger and Nathan Koci, choreography is by John Heginbotham, co-set design is by Laura Jellinek and Grace Laubacher, costume design is by Terese Wadden, lighting design is by Scott Zielinski and sound design is by Drew Levy. The creative team also includes projection designer Joshua Thorson, musical director Tom Brady, casting director Jacob Sparrow, associate choreographer Shelby Williams, assistant director Nimmo Ismail, associate costume designer Rachel Townsend, associate lighting designer Fiffi Thorsteinsson, associate musical director Huw Evans, dialect coach Sam Lilja and orchestral manager David Gallagher.

Oklahoma! is being produced in association with Eva Price, Sonia Friedman Productions and Michael Harrison.