The full cast has now been confirmed for The Wicker Husbandwhich returns to the Watermill Theater in Newbury after its original run (which received a 5-star rave review from WhatsOnStage) was forced to close in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

The company includes Joseph Alessi (The Lorax) as shoemaker, Gemma Sutton (The girl from the north country) as Ugly Girl, George Maguire (sunny afternoon) as Wicker Husband, Angela Caesar (Caroline or Change) as Cobbler’s Wife, Jonathan Charles (Battle horse) as Innkeeper, Claire-Marie Hall (Ground Meat Operation) as the wife of the innkeeper, Jack Quarton (Amelie) as Tailor, Davina Moon (Soldiers on parade) as the tailor’s wife, and Julian Forsyth (sunset boulevard) as an old basket maker.

The production puppeteers are Nisha Anil (Dr. Dolittle) and Sebastien Charles (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), while Tom Norman serves as the swing.

The group on stage includes Jon Whitten, Rachel Barnes and musical director Pat Moran.

Directed by Charlotte Westenra, The Wicker Husband is a folk-inspired musical that tells the story of an outsider. Based on an original short story by Ursula Wills, the show features a book by Rhys Jennings and a score by Darren Clark.

The creative team for the returning piece includes designer and puppet director Finn Caldwell (with Gareth Aled as associate puppet director), set designer Anna Kelsey, choreographer Steven Harris, lighting designer Hartley TA Kemp and designer sound Ella Wahlström. The management team is made up of Emily Stedman, Alex Berridge-Schuter, Caitlin Ravenscroft and Eleanor Walton.

Watermill Artistic Director Paul Hart commented: “It’s been a long road from The Wicker Husbanda play so perfect for the Watermill stage, opened and was forced to close almost immediately, in March 2020. With its beautiful score, and incredible puppets, I can’t wait to reunite with the whole team for this show remarkable. “

Production is scheduled to run from March 11-26, 2022.

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