Cast announced for the 1st London revival of Betty Blue Eyes

Premiering in 2011, ‘Betty Blue Eyes’, Book by Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman, Music by George Stiles, Lyrics by Anthony Drewe based on the film ‘A Private Function’ by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray, received nominations for ‘Best New Musical’ in the Olivier Awards, The Evening Standard Awards and the WhatsOnStage.com Awards.

It is 1947, war has ended but Britain’s citizens are suffering under the burden of food rationing, high unemployment and the coldest winter for decades.

The only bright spark on the horizon is the impending marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Enter Betty, an adorable pig who is being illegally reared to ensure local dignitaries of a small community in Yorkshire can celebrate the Royal Wedding with a lavish banquet whilst the local population make do with Spam.

‘Betty Blue Eyes’ is an utterly British musical, full of eccentric characters, such as odd couple Gilbert Chilvers – a humble chiropodist, and his wife Joyce, a nobody determined to be somebody; Inspector Wormold – an obsessive destroyer of illegal meat; Mother Dear – “She’s 74 and ravenous”; along with a weird assortment of bullies, spivs and snobs, and of course, Betty the pig.

It has a deliciously infectious, toe-tapping, retro contemporary score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, with a book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, adapted and expanded from Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray’s hilariously funny and sharply observed comic film ‘A Private Function’.

‘Betty Blue Eyes’, directed by Sasha Regan, is the first in-house production at the Union Theatre since Covid.

Sam Kipling (Gilbert Chilvers) recently played George in the world premiere of ‘Tasting Notes’ at Southwark Playhouse. He was Josephine in Sasha Regan’s all-male ‘HMS Pinafore’ and Edith in Sasha Regan’s all-male ‘Pirates of Penzance’.

Amelia Atherton (Joyce Chilvers) recently appeared in the UK & Ireland Tour of ‘Waitress’ as Cover Norma/Cover Becky. She was Offie nominated, Best Supporting Performance for ‘Next Thing You Know’ at the Garden Theatre.

Jayne Ashley (Mother Dear) was recently in the UK tours of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, ‘Cilla’ and ‘Sunny Afternoon’ and played Julie Saunders in ‘Bad Girls The Musical’ at the Union.

David Pendlebury (Inspector Wormold) was Judge Turpin in Sondheim’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ at the English Theatre Frankfurt, and The Senator in ‘Hello Again’ at the Union.

Stuart Simons (Dr Swaby) was the male Company Cover in Sondheim’s Passion at Hope Mill Theatre. He was Dad Bostock in ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ at the Union.

Josh Perry (Henry Allardyce) recently graduated with a First Class Degree in Performance in Musical Theatre after playing Sweeney Todd in ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ at Performance Preparation Academy.

Tom Holt (Francis Lockwood) was lead vocalist on ‘A Tropical Tale’ and and The Conductor on ‘The Polar Express – The Tram’.

Emma Jane Fearnley (Mrs Roach / Ensemble) is a recent graduate of the London School of Musical Theatre making her professional debut.

Jade Marvin (Mrs Lester / Ensemble) played Catherine of Aragon in ‘Six the Musical’. She was also in ‘Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens’ (Union); ‘Bad Girls: The Musical’ (Upstairs at The Gatehouse); ‘Mythic’ (Charing Cross Theatre).

Katie Stasi (Mrs Turnbull / Ensemble) was in ‘Gradfest: Christmas Tidings at St Paul’s Church and Glinda in ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

The rest of the cast are:

Laurel Dougall, Aimée McQueen, Shannon Farrell, Hannah Lawton, Kane Stone, Jonny Weston, Georgia Boothman, George Dawes

Veronica Allardyce will be played by members of the Union Youth Theatre; Nellie Regan, Ava Jennings-Grant and Coco Bennett

Union Theatre

Arch 22 & 23 Old Union Yard Arches

229 Union Street

London SE1 0LR

29th March – 22nd April

Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm

Saturday Matinee 2.30pm

Previews: Previews 29th, 30th, 31st, March 

Tickets:

Previews £20

Tickets £25