This major UK and Ireland tour of the smash-hit musical will star Coronation Street legend Nigel Pivaro, who appeared in the hugely popular ITV soap between 1983 – 2012 as the lovable rogue ‘Terry Duckworth’. He will be swapping the cobbles for the stage and performing the role of ‘Da’ in this all-new production.
Nigel Pivaro says:
“I am thrilled to be marking my return to the stage in this production of The Commitments. It's an iconic story that resonates across the years, about people who though distant from the music's origins find communion and expression in the Motown style. A musical genre which was borne out of oppression and which the character’s embrace as their own. The Motown Sound is as vibrant today as it was when it first burst through in the Sixties.”
Roddy Doyle added:
“I'm delighted that The Commitments are coming back in 2022 & 2023 and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how Nigel Pivaro tackles the part of Jimmy Rabbitte's Da.”
This new tour for 2022/23 is directed by Andrew Linnie. Andrew made his West End debut in the original production in 2013, playing the role of ‘Dean’, the band’s sax player. He then went on to star in the lead role of ‘Jimmy Rabitte’ in the 2016/2017 UK tour.
Joining the cast as ‘Deco’ is Olivier Award nominee Ian McIntosh. Ian is no stranger to this role, having previously played Alternate ‘Deco’ during the original West End run. Previous credits include ‘Galileo’ in the UK tour of We Will Rock You, ‘Sid Worley’ in An Officer and a Gentleman and he was Olivier nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Musical’ for his role as ‘Barry’ in Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. His extensive musical career has also seen him perform in Hair and Can’t Buy Me Love.
Other casting includes James Killeen as ‘Jimmy’, Stuart Reid as ‘Joey’, Ciara Mackey as ‘Imelda’, Michael Mahony as ‘Oustpan’, Ryan Kelly as ‘Billy’, Conor Litten as ‘Dean’, Guy Freeman as ‘Derek’, Stephen O’Riain as ‘James’, Ronnie Yorke as ‘Mickah’, Eve Kitchingman as ‘Natalie’, and Sarah Gardiner as ‘Bernie’. Maryann Lynch, Alice Croft, James Deegan, Callum Martin, Joshua Barton, Ed Thorpe and Colm Gleeson make up the ensemble.
In 2013 The Commitments musical opened in London’s West End to universal critical acclaim and enjoyed a record-breaking two-year residency at the Palace Theatre. After which, it hit the road for a major tour, invigorating audiences up and down the country throughout 2016 and 2017.
The Commitments musical has been adapted from the novel by Booker prize-winning author Roddy Doyle. Featuring an electric playlist, The Commitments showcases more than 20 soul classics performed live on stage, including Night Train, Try A Little Tenderness, River Deep, Mountain High, In The Midnight Hour, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Save Me, Mustang Sally, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Reach Out, Uptight, Knock On Wood, I Can't Turn You Loose and many more!
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