21 February 2020
Newsdesk
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have today announced that Olivier and Tony Award nominee Kate Fleetwood* will play the iconic villain, Cruella de Vil, in their forthcoming production of
101 Dalmatians (16 May – 21 June).
Based on Dodie Smith’s original story set in the heart of Regent’s Park, 101 Dalmatians is a newly commissioned musical with book by Zinnie Harris and music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge. The production is directed by the Open Air Theatre’s Artistic Director, Timothy Sheader.
Kate Fleetwood’s previous stage roles include: Lady Macbeth (Chichester Festival/Gielgud/ BAM/Broadway) for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, Medea (Almeida) and Goneril in King Lear (National Theatre). She also appeared in Absolute Hell and Ugly Lies the Bone (National Theatre), Bug (Found111) and Life is a Dream (Donmar Warehouse), for which she received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kate received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for London Road (National Theatre), and she also played Tracy Lord in High Society (Old Vic).
Kate’s television credits include: Victoria, War and Peace, The People Next Door and The Widower, and last year she filmed regular roles in Brave New World and Fate: The Winx Club Saga, to be aired soon on Peacock and Netflix respectively. She will soon complete filming a leading role in Amazon’s forthcoming Wheel of Time. Kate’s film credits include: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Negotiator, London Road, Philomena, Les Misérables and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
* Please note that Kate Fleetwood will not appear at the matinee performances on 3, 10 or 17 June.
Full casting for 101 Dalmatians will be announced in due course.
Joining director Timothy Sheader on 101 Dalmatians are Katrina Lindsay (Set & Costume Designer), Liam Steel (Choreographer), Toby Olié (Puppet Designer/Director), Sarah Travis (Musical Supervisor & Orchestrator), Howard Hudson (Lighting Designer), Nick Lidster for Autograph (Sound Designer) and Tarek Merchant (Musical Director). Casting is by Jill Green with children’s casting by Verity Naughton.
The Open Air Theatre’s 2020 season also includes Romeo and Juliet (27 June – 25 July),
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (31 July – 19 September) and, for ages 3+, Dragons and Mythical Beasts (11 August – 6 September). Beyond the Park, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, which won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, transfers to the Barbican Theatre (27 June – 22 August), and their multi award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar continues its North American Tour.
