THE BAD GIRLS BREAK OUT INTO THE WEST END!

Following rave reviews and a hugely successful season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse last year, the inmates of HMP Larkhall are breaking out once again as BAD GIRLS – THE MUSICAL serves time in London’s West End. The production will open at the Garrick Theatre with a press night on Wednesday 12 September, following previews from 16 August. Please note that the Gala Night will be on Thursday 13 September.

Written by the creators of the award-winning TV series; BAD GIRLS – THE MUSICALfeatures many of the original inhabitants of G-Wing, including Jim Fenner, Bodybag, Shell Dockley, Nikki Wade, The Two Julies and embattled new Wing Governor Helen Stewart. Never shying from the darker side of prison life, BAD GIRLS celebrates the warmth, compassion and defiant sense of humour that can sometimes triumph even behind bars. The original musical score reflects the characteristic blend of hard-hitting drama and heart-warming comedy with a fresh mix of funny and moving songs from ballads to showtime including All Banged Up, One Moment, Jailcraft and Freedom Road.

Bad Girls the Musical will feature David Burt, Sally Dexter, Nicole Faraday and Helen Fraser. David Burt’s (Jim Fenner) West End credits include ‘Count Fosco’ in The Woman in White directed by Trevor Nunn, ‘Pontius Pilate’ in Jesus Christ Superstar, ‘Anatoly Sergievsky’ in Chess, ‘Georgio Germont’ in La Traviata at the Donmar Warehouse for which he received an Olivier nomination and ‘Enjolras’ in the original RSC production of Les Miserable. Sally Dexter’s (‘Yvonne Atkins’) London theatre credits include Sam Mendes’ production of Oliver, Closer directed by Patrick Marber and The Theatre of Blood both at the National and ‘Lady Macbeth’ in John Crowley’s production of Macbeth. Most recently she starred as ‘Mrs Wilkinson’ in Billy Elliot at Victoria Palace. Her television credits include Night and Day on ITV1. Nicole Faraday (‘Shell Dockley’) is best known for her portrayal of ‘Snowball Merriman’ in two series of Bad Girls on ITV1. She also played series regular ‘Dr Heather Lincoln’ in Casualty on BBC1. Nicole won the TMA award 2006 for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for her role as ‘Shell Dockley’ at the West Yorkshire Playhouse (WYP).

Helen Fraser (‘Sylvia Bodybag Hollamby’) is a familiar face on television. Her early television appearances include Rising Damp and Doctor in Charge (ITV), One Foot in the Grave (BBC) and seven series of The Dick Emery Show. Her film credits include A Kind of Loving and Billy Liar, both directed by John Schlesinger, and Repulsion directed by Roman Polanski. Helen is well known for her infamous performance as ‘Sylvia Hollamby’ in 8 series of Bad Girls.

The cast will also feature Maria Charles (The Boyfriend at Wyndhams Theatre, Divorce Me Darling at the Globe, The Matchmaker at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Annie at the Victoria Palace), Caroline Head (South Pacific at the Crucible Theatre), Julie Jupp (Bad Girls the Musical at the WYP, Bat Boy at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Honk! The Ugly Duckling at the Watermill Theatre), Amanda Posener (Caroline or Change at the National Theatre, Rent at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Bad Girls the Musical at the WYP), Laura Rogers’s (‘Helen Stewart’ in the original company of Bad Girls the Musical, ‘Chastity Green’ in the The Sins (BBC) and ‘Sheena’ in Bad Girls Series 7 on ITV) and Rebecca Wheatley (BBC’s Casualty, Sky’s Time Gentlemen Please and Fame in the West End). Also in the cast are Phil Barley, Zita Frith, Lisa Marie Graham, Gillian Hardie and Natalie Tapper. Kath Gotts (music and lyrics) is well acquainted with the inmates of Larkhall, having co-written the theme and incidental music for four series of BAD GIRLS. A former Vivien Ellis Prize finalist, she is currently writing songs for the fictional school musical Parkside Story, to be featured within the next series of Waterloo Road on BBC1.

Maggie Norris (director) has worked as a director, writer and actress and is also Executive Producer on the forthcoming feature film Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution starring Iain Glen and Catherine Tate. She most recently directed Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys at West Yorkshire Playhouse. Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus (book), writers of Bad Girls – The Musical, are also the creative team behind Bad Girls and Footballers’ Wives on ITV and the current hit BBC drama Waterloo Road, as well as the much-anticipated Rock Rivals for ITV. After meeting on Coronation Street in 1998 they set up Shed Productions with colleagues Brian Park and Eileen Gallagher.

The West Yorkshire Playhouse Production of BAD GIRLS – THE MUSICAL will be produced in the West End by Kath Gotts and Maggie Norris for Big Broad Productions and Eileen Gallagher for Shed Productions, alongside Executive Producer Tristan Baker.