Full cast announced: Assassins at Hayes Theatre Co

Assassins is the first musical by Stephen Sondheim to be presented at Hayes Theatre Co in its nearly 4 years of operation Today, the full cast has been confirmed for the production at Sydney’s favourite independent musical theatre venue, which is set to open next month.

David Campbell as John Wiles Booth | Artwork by Jeff van de Zandt

David Campbell (Dreamlover, Today Extra) and his Dreamlover co-star Hannah Frederickson, Connor Crawford (The Sound of Music), and Martin Crewes (Sweet Charity) will feature in the production. The full cast also includes Laura Bunting (Calamity Jane, Rent) Kate Cole (Ladies in Black, Sweet Charity), Bobby Fox (Jersey Boys, Blood Brothers), Jason Kos (Cabaret, Miracle City), Rob McDougall (Les Misérables, Rob Guest Endowment finalist), and Justin Smith (The Detective’s Handbook, Billy Elliott). Making his professional debut will be recent VCA graduate Maxwell Simon.

From September 15, Sondheim’s signature blend of intelligently stunning lyrics and beautiful music will play for a limited season at Hayes Theatre Co. A panoramic story of the culture of celebrity and the violent means some will use to obtain it, (embodied by America’s four successful and five would-be presidential assassins) this production is bold, original, disturbing and alarmingly funny. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, we learn of the varied and unusual ways that each has committed (or attempted to commit) the ultimate crime; their motivations and their desire to be recognised for their actions in a world where they are largely dismissed and ignored. Assassins is a chilling and timely reminder that those in power ignore the poor and disenfranchised to their peril.

Assassins is about a group of people with a diverse set of dreams and one vicious way to achieve them – to assassinate the President of the United States of America,” said director Dean Bryant. “What makes a citizen take up a gun and take out the most powerful man in their country? A documentary, black comedy, revue and tour through a hundred years of popular music, Assassins couldn’t be more right for Australia now; a time when our news feeds are so flooded with US politics that we know more about their leaders than our own.”

Choreographer Andrew Hallsworth and Musical Director Andrew Worboys (Sweet Charity and Little Shop of Horrors) will reunite with Director Dean Bryant as Choreographer and Musical Director to recreate the Helpmann Award winning team from Hayes Theatre Co’s first musical, Sweet Charity.

Running for approximately 1 hour 40 mins with no interval, Assassins is sponsored by The Russell Mills Foundation.

Bookings via www.hayestheatre.com.au | (02) 8065 7337

 

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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