Little Miss Sunshine - New Wolsey Theatre

Little Miss Sunshine

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The road to happiness is a bumpy ride.

Based on the Oscar-winning film, Little Miss Sunshine is a new musical comedy from Tony Award winners James Lapine and William Finn.

The Hoover family has more than a few troubles, but young Olive has her heart set on winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest. When an invitation to compete comes out of the blue, the Hoovers must pile in to their rickety yellow camper van. Can it survive the 800-mile trip from New Mexico to California – and more importantly, can they?

This uplifting, modern classic celebrates the quirks of every family, the potholes in every road, and the power of overcoming our differences.

Lapine and Finn’s inventive musical version opens in London in a brand new production directed by Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen, then takes to the road for a national tour.

Images featured include the Original London Cast.

Age guide 14+


Cast & Creatives

Mark Moraghan — Grandpa

Mark recently appeared in Tim Richards in Emmerdale and is best known for his roles in Coronation Street, Holby City, Dream Team, Brookside and Harry Enfield.

His other theatre credits include: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Bolton Octagon) By The Waters Of Liverpool (Empire Theatre Liverpool) Royal Court 80 (Royal Court Liverpool), You'll Never Walk Alone (Royal Court Liverpool, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta), One Night in Istanbul (Liverpool Echo, Gaiety Theatre Dublin and GOH Belfast), Peter Pan (Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells), Franklyn J Hart in 9 to 5 (National Tour), Nightmare on Lime Street, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Our Day Out and Funny Money (all for Royal Court, Liverpool), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre, London), My Fair Lady (Liverpool Philharmonic); Come Fly With Me (Millennium Centre Cardiff); Twopence to Cross the Mersey (Liverpool Empire); Strictly Murder (UK Tour); Eric’s (Liverpool Everyman); Bad Blood (Key Theatre); Bouncers, Little Match Girl, Barbarians, and Arabian Nights (Unity Theatre); Macbeth (Art Theatre Company); Fears and Miseries of the Third Reich (Liverpool Playhouse and Young Vic); The Beaux Stratagem (Liverpool Playhouse); The Jungle Book (Cleveland Theatre Company); and High Rise Dreamer (Liverpool Lunchtime Theatre Company) and most recently Jack and the Beanstalk, Floral Theatre New Brighton.

Mark's TV series regulars include Adrian in Coronation Street, Owen Davis in Holby City (5 years), Ray Wyatt in Dream Team (3 years) & Greg Shadwick in Brookside (2 years). His other television credits include: The Knot, Doctors, Heartbeat, The Bill, Where The Heart Is, Always And Everyone, Close And True, Casualty, Peak Practice, Real Women, Harry Enfield and Chums, Sharman, London’s Burning, Ocean of America, The Vet, Against All Odds, The Lodge, Wilderness Edge, Boon, The Chief, Needle, Waterfront Beat, Murder in the Wind, Shoot to Kill, Shooting Stars, Emmerdale Farm and Liars.

Film credits include Allies (Hawthorn Productions) Ramanujan (Camphore Cinema) and Amar, Akbar & Tony (AAT Films LTD). Previous films include; Stepdad, The Last Bloodline and Judge Dredd.

Mark’s debut Album Moonlight’s Back In Style is released on Linn Records. He was a finalist on Celebrity Masterchef and came second to Russell Watson on BBC's Just the Two of Us with singing partner, Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton.

Mark is the narrator of the popular children's TV show Thomas the Tank Engine. He follows fellow Liverpudlian's Ringo Starr & Michael Angelis, and is the voice of the programme in all English language territories including the US.

Lucy O'Byrne — Sheryl

Theatre Credits: Eva Peron in Evita (UK, Ireland & Germany Tour), Fantine in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre – West End), Maria in The Sound of Music (UK and Ireland Tour), River Woman in Therese Raquin (Park Theatre), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Gaiety Theatre-Dublin)

Television/Radio Credits: Friday Night is Music Night-Live from the London Palladium (BBC Radio 2), Runner up on The Voice (BBC), BBC Proms in the Park (BBC), Sam & Jessica in Ballybraddan  (RTÉ/Monster Animation)

Recording Credits: ‘Debut’ (Solo Album – Island Records), Lucy O’Byrne sings The Sound of Music (EP), NOW That’s What I Call Classical Therese Raquin (Original Cast Recording)

Lucy’s album ‘Debut’ is available now from Island Records online and on all streaming platforms.

Paul Keating — Frank

Stage credits include: Kenny Morgan in Kenny Morgan (Arcola Theatre), Elliot Garfield in The Goodbye Girl (Upstairs At The Gatehouse), Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), Tick Tick Boom (Duchess Theatre), Blowing Whistles (Leicester Square Theatre), Stephen Fry's Cinderella (The Old Vic), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (Duke of York's Theatre/Menier Chocolate Factory), Travis in Giffin & Barnes Gladiator Games (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Don Carlos (Gielgud Theatre), A Little Night Music Chicago (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in conjunction with The Donmar Warehouse), The Full Monty (Prince of Wales Theatre), Closer to Heaven (The Arts Theatre, Olivier award nomination for 'Best Actor in a Musical'), La Cava (Piccadilly Theatre), Assassins (New West End Theatre), Escape From Pterodactyl Island (Pleasance Theatre), Tommy (Shaftsbury Theatre - Olivier award nomination 'Best Actor in a Musical), Lost in Yonkers (Novello Theatre), Les Misérables (Pleasance Theatre).

Rehearsed Readings: Mad Hatter in Your Alice (Pinkhouse Productions).

TV credits include: Against the Law (BBC), Humans (Channel 4), Holby City (BBC), Injustice (ITV), Eastenders (BBC), Metrosexuality (Channel 4), Secret Britain (Channel 4), Ambassador (BBC), Penpics (Channel 4), Troublemakers (BBC), The Bill (Carlton), Casualty (BBC).

Film credits include: The Brothers Marterana, Strip, Bring Me The Head of Mavis Davis, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hetrosexuality.

Gabriel Vick — Richard Hoover

Gabriel Trained at the Royal Academy of Music.

Theatre credits include: Adam in Manhattan Parisienne (The Other Palace); Chuck Baxter in Promises Promises (Southwark Playhouse) Robert Wace in Sunny Afternoon (Harold Pinter Theatre); Richard Newton-Clare in Flowers of The Forest (Jermyn Street Theatre); Emcee in Once (Phoenix Theatre); Chariots of Fire (Gielgud Theatre, directed by Ed Hall); The Tempest, directed by Adrian Noble (Theatre Royal, Bath); Hamlet - The Musical (Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton & Richmond Theatre); Double Falsehood (Union Theatre); Murder in the Cathedral (Christchurch Cathedral/ Oxford Playhouse); The Great British Country Fete (The Bush Theatre); La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre); A Little Night Music Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn (The Menier Chocolate Factory/ Garrick Theatre); Dickens Unplugged (Edinburgh Festival/ Comedy Theatre); Wolf in Cabaret, directed by Rufus Norris (Lyric Theatre); Original London cast of Avenue Q (Noel Coward Theatre); and Scrooge (London Palladium).

TV and film credits include Hugo Alexander in Nativity Rocks (Entertainment One) Feuilly in Les Miserables (Working Title); Berger in The Invisible Woman directed and starring Ralph Fiennes (Lionsgate); White Van Man (ITV); Hold Out (Short Film); Eliminate: Archie Cookson (Agent Pictures); Eastenders (BBC); MI High (Kudos) & My Family (BBC).

Sev Keoshgerian — Dwayne Hoover

After graduated from Royal Academy of Music in 2018 he appeared in The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) at the Above the Stag Theatre, Vauxhall.

Matt McDonald — Joshua Rose/Kirby

Matt McDonald recently performed in Titanic the Musical UK and Ireland Tour 2018. The production opened at the Mayflower Theatre Southampton and was directed by Thom Southerland.
Theatre includes: Callum in Our House (UK Tour), President of the Assembly in The Braille Legacy (Charing Cross Theatre), Lorenzo in Death Takes a Holiday (Charing Cross Theatre); Ensemble in A Christmas Carol (LMTO/ Lyceum Theatre), Ralph in Sky News the Musical (Canterbury Festival), Harry Buckley in Allegro (Southwark Playhouse), Ralph in Sky News the Musical (The Union Theatre).

Credits whilst training: Kyle the UPS Guy in Legally Blonde, Lounge Singer in Dogfight and Guy Gisbourne in Hoods, Jackson in Lockhart, Jules in Sunday in the Park with George, Brutus in Julius Caesar, Tom in The Winter Guest, Val Valenti in Wonderful Town and Soloist in Mountview’s 70th Birthday.
Matthew received the Help Musician UK Ian Fleming award in 2015 whilst at Mountview.

Imelda Warren-Green — Linda/ Miss California

Imelda graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts with a first-class honours degree in Musical Theatre.
Credits include: Support artist for Tom Jones (Hampton Court Palace Festival), Support Artist for Lionel Ritchie (Hampton Court Palace Festival), Tiger in The Little Mermaid (Liverpool Everyman); Young Beth in As The Crow Flies (UK tour & Salisbury Playhouse); Jamie Pack in Out There (Union Theatre); Denny in Bad Girls (Union Theatre); Stepsister in Cinderella (Chiswick House and Gardens); Miriam in Nativity Blues (Eastern Angles); Nan in Whistle Down the Wind (Union Theatre); Soloist in Ladies Who Lunch (Battersea Barge).

Ian Carlyle — Larry/Buddy

Ian was born in London and trained at The Barbados Dance Theatre and with the Purple Theatre Company. Ian has performed extensively in Barbados, and is a founding member of the Purple Theatre Company. He played the role of George in Don’t Dress for Dinner, Corporal Kraputz in Carpe Juglum and Fizzy in Bugsy Malone
Ian made his West End debut in The Lion King, he then went on to play the Crabman and u/s Sportin’ Life in Trevor Nunn’s critically acclaimed production of Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre. Ian then went on to play Britney in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre.

Other work includes the first UK tour of Miss Saigon playing a GI and covering the role of John. He has done a workshop of a new piece entitled The Corporate Witches.
He then went on to be in the Jude Kelly production of Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall. Ian played Clopin on the international tour of Notre Dame de Paris. Ian was ensemble u/s Jesus on the original Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour. He played Curtis Shank in Sister Act at Killworth House Theatre and Eddie Salver in Sister Act in Dublin. Ian played Charlie in Showboat at the Sheffield Crucible, directed by Daniel Evans, he then played The Man in Blues in the Night at the London Hippodrome. Ian then played Four-eyed Moe in Five Guys Named Moe at the Underbelly Pop up Theatre in Hyde Park- directed by Clarke Peters. Ian has done 2 seasons as the main singer in the Hyatt hotel in Japan.

Reviews of Little Miss Sunshine

What the press say


"Ergen's staging is full of fantastic turns"

WhatsOnStage

"Definitely worth a (road) trip"

Evening Standard

"Full of delight...this is a bus well worth jumping aboard"

Mark Shenton, London Theatre

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