Michael Ball

GEORGE

Michael Ball is Britain’s leading musical theatre star, a double Olivier Award-winning, Grammy nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and a hugely popular radio and TV presenter. For over 30 years he has been at the top of his game, starring in musical theatre productions in the West End and on Broadway, winning critical acclaim, a devoted following and awards for his stage work and recording career.

Michael’s theatre include Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (ENO/Coliseum), Javert in Les Misérables – The Staged Concert (Gielgud Theatre) Anatoly in Chess (ENO/Coliseum), Mack in Mack and Mabel (Chichester/UK Tour), Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (West End) for which he won the Olivier Award for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (Original West End Cast) for which he won the Olivier Award for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’, Kismet (English National Opera), Patience (New York City Opera), The Woman in White (West End/Broadway), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West End), Passion, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love (West End/Broadway) and creating the role of. Marius in Les Misérables (Original West End Cast). His television credits include the Victoria Wood BBC TV film, That Day We Sang, opposite his Sweeney Todd co-star, Imelda Staunton.

Michael has a successful radio broadcasting career which includes his own show, The Michael Ball Show on BBC Radio 2 on Sundays. He is also a popular TV presenter – he has hosted The Michael Ball Show on ITV1, his first TV travelogue, Wonderful Wales on Channel 5 and most recently an Easter Sunday special for the BBC.

He regularly tours the UK as a concert artist and has sold millions of albums over the last 30 years; he’s performed in Australia, China, USA, Japan and, in 2007, made his BBC Proms debut: An Evening with Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall which marked the first time a musical theatre star had been given a solo concert at the Proms. In 2016 he released Together, a collaborative effort with close friend and singer Alfie Boe, that featured performances of classic songs. The album became the UK’s best-selling album of 2016 and beat the likes of Little Mix and The Rolling Stones to the Christmas No.1 spot. Ball & Boe then released Together Again which brought the pair yet another No.1 album in 2017, and Back Together which landed them the No.2 spot in the Official Albums Chart. In 2020, Michael and Alfie released their first festive album Together at Christmas featuring both old favourites and originals. Thanks to their latest release ‘Together in Vegas’, which entered the UK album chart at No.3 in October 2022, they have now sold over 1.5 million albums in the UK, received two Classic Brit Awards, sold out two headline arena tours and presented three ITV Specials! During the various U.K. lockdowns, Michael started to pen new material — inspired by his work for charity and community (such as his interview and duet with the late Captain Sir Tom Moore) the result was We Are More Than One, an album more personal than ever before. After learning how to write and record remotely, every track had an inspiring story to tell.

His debut novel, The Empire, was published in Autumn 2022 and became a Sunday Times Bestseller.

Laura Pitt-Pulford

ROSE

Nominated for the 2016 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Millie in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park.

Theatre Credits include:Jane in The Witches of Eastwick in concert (Sondheim Theatre); Louise in Gypsy – A Musical Fable, In Concert (Alexandra Palace); Marlene in Piaf (Nottingham Playhouse/Leeds Playhouse); Trina in Falsettos (The Other Palace); Sheryl Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine (Arcola); Natasha/Pamela in Flowers For Mrs Harris (Sheffield Crucible & Chichester Festival Theatre);Melanie in The Gronholm Method (Menier Chocolate Factory); Charity Barnum in Barnum (Menier Chocolate Factory); Nell in Nell Gwynn (ETT, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & UK Tour); Anna in Platinum (Hampstead Theatre); Violet in Side Show (Southwark Playhouse); Nancy in Oliver! (Leicester Curve); Jean in The Smallest Show on Earth (UK Tour); Milly Bradon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – 2016 Olivier Nomination); Young Phyllis in Follies in Concert (Royal Albert Hall); Petra in A Little Night Music in Concert (Palace Theatre); Maria in The Sound of Music (Leicester Curve); Woman in Marry Me A Little (St. James Theatre); Falconer in The Light Princess (National Theatre); Mabel in Mack & Mabel (Southwark playhouse); Snake in The Little Prince by Nick Lloyd Webber (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Lucille in Parade (Southwark Playhouse); Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (UK Tour); Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard (The Comedy Theatre, West End & The Watermill Theatre)

Television Credits include: EastEnders (BBC); Mallory Towers (BBC); Emmerdale (ITV): Casualty(BBC);(Unforgotten (ITV); The Split (BBC); Free Rein (Netflix); Father Brown (BBC).”

Jamie Bogyo

ALEX

Training: Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Theatre: Jamie made his professional debut in 2021 playing the leading role of Christian in the West End production of Moulin Rouge: The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre).

As Playwright and Screenwriter: Safe Space (Rada Festival – London Production in 2024); Macho; Intimacy, Fantasy and Pornography; and The Great Whitehopes.

Danielle de Niese

GIULIETTA

Hailed by the New York Times Magazine as ‘Opera’s Coolest Soprano’, Danielle de Niese has been thrilling audiences worldwide from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden and La Scala. But before all this, she won an Emmy Award as a TV host at 16 and made her Broadway debut at 18 in Les Miserables.  Now, coming full circle, having garnered rave reviews for her West End debut as Aldonza alongside Kelsey Grammer in Man of La Mancha, and wide recognition as a highly respected multi genre artist, she returns to her roots in musical theatre. She has recorded 4 solo albums exclusively for Decca/Universal, performed at Carnegie Hall with rapper LL Cool J, and with pop star Mika for ITV plus headlined the BBC global broadcast of “Last Night of the Proms” singing a Julie Andrews medley for the Sound of Music 50th Anniversary, at Hyde park and Royal Albert Hall. She reopened the Sydney Opera House on New Year’s Eve breaking box office records in the musical theatre production of Lehar’s The Merry Widow as Hanna Glawari, and most recently starred in the highly acclaimed film version of Poulenc/Cocteau’s one-woman show La Voix Humaine (Trademark Films) for BBC Two.

Rosemary Ashe

ELIZABETH

Rosie’s West End credits include: Carlotta in the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of The Opera’, Madame Thenardier in ‘Les Miserables’, Cunegonde in ‘Candide’, Widow Corney in ‘Oliver!’, Hortense in ‘The Boyfriend’, Forbidden Broadway, Felicia Gabriel in ‘The Witches of Eastwick’ (for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical), ‘Miss Andrew’, in ‘Mary Poppins’, Lottie Grady in ‘When We Are Married’ and Grandma Mole in ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & 3⁄4’. Rosie’s most recent and notable production was originating the role of ‘Pam Lee’ in the world premiere of ‘The Great British Bake Off Musical’ at The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.

Other roles include: Ethel Merman in ‘Call Me Merman’ & Dora Bryan in ‘Adorable Dora (tours), Betty in ‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ (Waterloo East Theatre), Miss Bleacher in ‘Crush’ (tour), Kate Hoey MP in ‘Committee’ (Donmar Warehouse), 8 roles in Tonight at 8.30 (Jermyn St Theatre), The Old Lady in ‘Candide’ (Grange Park Festival), Mrs Fezziwigg in ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Lyceum Theatre) , Mrs Pearce in ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Teatro Massimo, Palermo, Sally Adams in ‘Call Me Madam’ (Gatehouse) & Dame Hannah in ‘Ruddigore’ (Wilton’s Music Hall).

She has also appeared with English National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Sadlers Wells Opera, Opera Northern Ireland & Carl Rosa in many different roles including Musetta in ‘La Boheme’, Despina in ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’, Helene in La Belle Helene’, Frasquita in ‘Carmen’ to name but a few.

Anthony Cable

ENSEMBLE

 Anthony trained at the Newcastle School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music.

His theatre credits include:Dr. Dario Albione in Death Takes a Holiday , Charing Cross Theatre, Grandfather/J.P. Morgan in Ragtime, Charing Cross Theatre,  George Carson in Geordie Sinatra at the Stephen Joseph Theatre,  Major General in The Pirates of Penzance at the Rose Theatre, Baldy in A Man of No Importance at the  Union Theatre, Franz/Herr Zeller in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, Ensemble in Promises and Lies at the Birmingham Rep, Le Fevre/DonAttillio/us Firman in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Minister in Anything Goes at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Mercade in Love’s Labours Lost, us Max/Sammy/Jonesey in Sunset Boulevard UK tour, Moulin cover Talleyrand in Napoleon at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Minister /us Sheriff in  Whistle Down the Wind at the Aldwych Theatre, Bill in Love life at the Barbican, Jed/Thomas in Someone Like You- UK Tour, Emile de Becque in South Pacific at Wimbledon, William Shakespeare in The Frogs at Coventry Olympia, Johan Strauss in The Great Waltz _ St Albans Arena. Curzola in The Power of the Cross, MacHeath in The Beggar’s Opera, Brother Anthony in Into the Fire, Leo in Land of the Young, emperor of China in Aladdin.

Television credit include: Spender, This Morning and Newsnight. Mr. Casterwick in The Confessions of Frannie Langton directed by Andrea Harkin.

Anthony has performed his  one man show “Jacques Brel- the Rage to Live” at many a Fringe venue.

Vinny Coyle

HUGO

Training: Vinny trained at Arts Educational Schools London, graduating with a BA (Hons).

Credits whilst training include: Bobby Strong in Urinetown, General Patterson in Big Fish and Scaphio in Utopia, Limited. He was also in The Flood (National Youth Theatre).

Theatre includes: Yash/Davenport in The Government Inspector (Turbine Theatre), Young Buddy in Follies (Tangier), The Baker/Arthur in ALW’s Cinderella (Gillian Lynne Theatre), Policeman in the Pit/Cover Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera (UK & Ireland Tour), Feuilly/Cover Enjolras in Les Misérables, The Staged Concert (Gielgud Theatre); Cover Chris/John in Miss Saigon (UK Tour); Cover Grantaire/Factory Foreman in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre).

Cast Recording’s include: ALW’s Cinderella (Original Cast Album), Les Misérables, The Staged Concert (The 2020 Cast Recording).

Other work includes: Vlad in Drag Addict Workshop; Jason in Jason and the Argonauts Workshop; Friday Night Is Music Night concert for BBC Radio 2, and performing at the Olivier Awards.

Chumisa Dornford-May

ENSEMBLE

Training: Chumisa is due to graduate from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2023. She was awarded the Elaine Paige Scholarship for Excellence in Musical Theatre.
Credits whilst training include: Grandma Addams in The Addams Family; Mrs Anderssen in A Little Night Music; Scotty in Merrily We Roll Along; Sarah Hollis in The Welkin; Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins; Maggie Tulliver in The Mill on the Floss.

Aspects of Love marks Chumisa’s professional and West End debut.

Soophia Foroughi

ALTERNATE GIULIETTA / ENSEMBLE

Training: London School of Musical Theatre.

Theatre includes: Kara in Rumi – The Musical (London Coliseum & Middle East); Understudy Tuya & Yocheved in The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre); Mother in Broken Wings (Theatre Royal Haymarket & Middle East); Guest Vocalist in Wonderful Town with the London Symphony Orchestra (Barbican); Elena in Tiger Bay (Wales Millennium Centre); The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (The English Theatre, Frankfurt); Guest Vocalist for Russell Watson (UK tour); Renee & understudy Muriel in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (UK tour); Featured Vocalist for Michael Ball: Both Sides Now (UK, UAE & DVD); Rhoda in White Christmas (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Helvetia Burelli in The Rat Pack: Live From Vegas (Wyndham’s Theatre); Magdalena in Bernarda Alba (Union Theatre).

Recordings include: Rumi – The Musical (Concept album); The Prince of Egypt (Original London Cast Recording); Wonder Woman 1984; Dumbo; Mary Poppins Returns; Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Broken Wings – The Musical (Concept album); Justice League.

Dickon Gough

BARKER/ENSEMBLE

Dickon trained at LIPA and studied opera at Birkbeck. Theatre credits include; Charles/William, As You Like It (@sohoplace); Big Six, City of Angels (Garrick); Porter, David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang, (World Premiere, Chichester Festival Theatre); Lurch, The Addams Family Musical, (Original UK cast, National & International Tour); Coster, Clocks 1888: The Greener, (Hackney Empire/National Tour); Sergeant of Police, Pirates of Penzance, (Kilworth House Theatre); Colline, OperaUpClose’s Olivier Award Winning La Boheme (Soho Theatre/Charing Cross Theatre); Leporello, Don Giovanni (Soho Theatre); Dulcamara, L’Elisir  d’Amore, (Ravenna Festival, Italy); Jupiter, Orpheus in the Underworld (Bloomsbury Theatre); Masetto/Commendatore, Don Giovanni (Opera della Luna); Cascada, The Merry Widow (Opera della Luna); Krol Roger, Guillaume Tell, Die Fliegende Hollander, Billy Budd, (Royal Opera House) Carlos Acosta’s Carmen (Royal Ballet); Pinellino, Gianni Schicchi (Opera Holland Park); Caiaphas, Jesus Christ Superstar (Wyllyotts Theatre); Pirate/Policemen, Pirates of Penzance, (Open Air Theatre, Regents Park)

Vocal work includes: Founding member of Mosaic Voices, ‘Letter to Kamilla’, debuted at No.5 in the Charts; Guest Vocalist ‘All Blessed’, Faithless, prod. Rollo Armstrong; Guest Vocalist, ‘Safe From Harm’ soundtrack, prod. Rollo Armstrong.

In 2010 his bottom was cast for the Walkers Crisp campaign for their ‘Builders Breakfast’ flavour selling 225000 packets of crisps.

Ben Heathcote

CO-BARKER/ENSEMBLE

Trained: Blackpool College of Performing Arts

Theatre: Thank you for the Music (Leo/John-UK Tour) The Beautiful Game (West End) Electric Lipstick (UK Tour) Fame (Joe Vagas-UK Tour) Come Dancing (Workshop) We Will Rock You (Curator-Workshop) Return to the Forbidden Planet (Cookie-Lincoln) Only You can save Mankind (Edinburgh) Carnival Massiah (Trinidad) Mamma Mia! (Pepper-West End) Drive Ride Walk (Fringe) Dickens Unplugged (West End) The Three Musketeers (Planchet-Rose Theatre) Sister Act (Workshop) Tonight’s The Night (Rod-UK Tour) Lion King (Timon-West End)

Film/TV: Peak Practice (Tony-ITV) Sex and the Chippy ( Alex-Pilot) Truckers (Kyle-BBC) Way To Go (Joey-BBC) Mary Poppins Returns (Badger-Disney) and numerous commercials.

Audio: Best Selling Audio Books, ‘Right Said Fred’ by Freddie Flintoff, ‘Becoming the 0.1%’ by Gareth Timmins, ‘Hope’ by the late Tom Parker (The Wanted).

Publishing: Tiny Totz Kidz (Wardlaw Music) – to keep up his love of writing music!

Ben has worked over the years entertaining our Armed Forces around the world with comedy gigs in The Faulklands, Cyprus, Bahrain and Afghanistan, performing alongside Simon Evans, Maff Brown, Rich Wilson & Garrett Millerick to name a few.

During this time he has also worked alongside the likes of Dara O’Briain, Romesh Ranganathan & Jack Dee. Ben opened Heathcote’s Comedy Club in 2019 (perfect Covid timing!) performing alongside the UK’s top Stand-Up’s including Dominic Holland, Scott Bennett, Mark Simmons & Hal Cruttenden.

Ben would like to dedicate a large sum of his wages to the Inland Revenue.

Eu Jin Hwang

SWING

Theatre credits: George Takei’s Allegiance (Charing Cross Theatre, London), Kathleen Marshall’s Anything Goes (UK tour & The Barbican Centre, London), Artaban the Musical (The Actors’ Church, London), Bartlett Sher’s The King and I (UK & International tour); TV credits: KIN (MediaCorp, Singapore); Training: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Daniel Jagusz-Holley

SWING

Daniel Jagusz-Holley gained a scholarship to train at The Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts in London. His theatre credits include: Dustin and cover Rusty (Starlight Express– Bochum, Germany), soloist with The Royal Philharmonic orchestra “ABBAPHONIC” “Symphonic Queen” and in Dubai performing at “Expo 2020” Prince Freidrich (Beauty and the beast- The mercury, Colchester). Frankie Epps (Parade- London Theatre Workshop), Ernst Robel (Spring Awakening- The Broadway Theatre, London), Tobias (Sweeney Todd- Longborough Festival Opera). Tenor (The Twelve Tenors- European Tour) His recording credits include: William Ivanhoe Sam in The Clockwork Maker’s Daughter (both were original cast recordings)

Daniel is thrilled to be making his West End Debut in the wonderful revival of Aspects of Love.

Linda Jarvis

ENSEMBLE

Linda trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She made her West End debut in the original production of Aspects of Love before joining Les Miserables at the Palace theatre. She performed in the 10^th anniversary concert of Les Miserables at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Other theatre work includes playing Miss Spider in James and the Giant Peach, Nicole in the pre West End workshop production of The Bakers Wife directed by Trevor Nunn and most recently played Joan Byas in a tribute concert to Leonard Cohen. 

She is one of the creators of The WestEnders, a company of West End singers who perform musical theatre concerts. This has taken her on multiple tours around the UK, Europe and as a Headline act on many cruise liners all over the world. 

She is delighted to be returning to Aspects of Love. 

Michael Matus

MARCEL

Training: RADA.

Theatre credits include: HEX (National Theatre); Singing in the Rain (UK Tour); La Cage aux Folles (Park Theatre); King Lear (West End); Richard III (Headlong); Broken Glass (Watford Palace); The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre); Uncle Max in The Sound of Music (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park); Taboo (with Boy George); Wonderful Town (tour with Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé); The Return of the Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre); The Baker’s Wife (The Union); Lend Me a Tenor (West End); ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (West Yorkshire Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (West End); Oklahoma! (Chichester); The Canterbury Tales and Eastward Ho! (RSC in the West End); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Timon of Athens (Globe); Rough Crossings (Headlong); Imagine This (New London); The Comedy of Errors and The Wizard of Oz (Sheffield Crucible); Martin Guerre (West End).

Television includes: The Lazarus Project (Sky); Endeavour (ITV);  The Split (ITV); Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators (BBC);  The Dom Joly Show (BBC); A Prince Among

Men (BBC);  EastEnders (BBC); Invasion (Apple TV); Marilyn Monroe (Netflix).

Film includes: The Crying Game and A Muppet Christmas Carol.

He has been nominated for a TMA Award, a WhatsOnStage Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a BroadwayWorld Award and an Off West End Award, and jointly won an Olivier for Best Acting Ensemble with RSC.

Natasha O'Brien

SWING

Training: Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Toronto

Selected theatre credits include: Mamma Mia (West End: Novello & International Tour), Falsettos (The Other Palace), Children of Eden (Union Theatre), Annie (LKTYP Toronto), HONK! (Globe Theatre Regina)

Joanna O'Hare

SWING

Joanna O’Hare is a proud graduate of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, receiving her BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre in 2012. 

Theatre Credits include: Hanna “Propaganda: A New Musical’ (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Ensemble/ Understudy Rosalie Mullins “School of Rock The Musical” (UK Tour), Ensemble & Understudy Norma Desmond “Sunset Boulevard” (Leicester Curve), Enchantress “Beauty and the Beast” (Belfast Opera House, Qdos), Mrs Gordon/understudy Rosalie Mullins “School of Rock the Musical” (South Korean Tour), Mary/understudy Norma Desmond “Sunset Boulevard” (UK Tour), Mother Nature “Jack and the Beanstalk” (Belfast/Qdos), Swing “The Phantom of the Opera” (West End), Ensemble “Kiss Me Kate” (BBC Proms, the Royal Albert Hall), Protestant Girl/understudy Christine “The Beautiful Game” (Union Theatre)

Concert Credits Include: Sondheim at 80 (BBC Proms, the Royal Albert Hall)

Film and TV include: The Rev (Watersmeet productions)

Joanna is thrilled to be part of this wonderful show and would like to thank her friends, family and all at Grantham Hazeldine for their constant support.

Anna Unwin

JENNY

Training: The Arts Educational School London

TV Credits: Locked Up Abroad (National Geographic), Doctors (BBC)

Theatre Credits: Alice in Alice in Wonderland QE2 Dubai, Cinderella at Newark Palace Theatre, Mrs Vernon Williams Cry Baby ArtsEd London.

Workshop Credits: Ella in Never Gonna Give You Up (ATG) Adele in Magician’s Elephant (Royal Shakespeare Company)

Music: Lead Vocalist of Arts International Jazz quartet (Nice, Milan), Anna is so excited for the release of her own original music in 2023 and loves singing in her Church Worship band on a Sunday.

Aspects of Love marks Anna’s West End Debut. She feels so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful musical and would like to thank everyone who helped to get her here!

Dave Willetts

GEORGE

For 40 years, Dave Willetts has been one of this country’s critically acclaimed leading musical theatre stars, both nationally and internationally in some of the most renowned musicals of our time.

He was the first person in the world to have played the leading roles in the two most successful shows of recent times, LES MISERABLES (London and Australia) and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (London and Manchester).

Other theatre credits include CATS (Old Deuteronomy- London), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Jesus – London and Europe), RAGTIME (Father – London), SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Major Lee – London), SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (Adam Pontipee – National Tour and London), SWEENEY TODD (Sweeney Todd – National), FOLLIES (Ben – Dublin), SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEAORGE (George – National), LET US FLY (Vladimir Vysotsky – London), SOUTH PACIFIC (Emile de Becque – National Tour), SUNSET BOULEVARD Max Von Mayerling – (London – Olivier Award Nominee), 42^nd STREET (Julian Marsh – National Tour), ASPECTS OF LOVE Sir George Dillingham – (London – What’s On Stage Nominee), LEGALLY BLOND (Professor Callaghan – National Tour), THE MAN INSIDE (Jekyll and Hyde – London), LOVE BEYOND (Father God – Wembley Arena), PURE IMAGINATION (The Man – London), OUT THERE (Ned Thomas/Newman Carter – London), WONDERLAND (White Rabbit – National Tour), RAGS Avram – (London – Winner London OFFIE Award).

Film – A Christmas Carol – Hallmark, MIA and ME – The hero of Centopia – Studio 100

Concert Venues including – Monterrey, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Munich, Royal Albert Hall.

Dave was honoured to be the subject of THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Dave works closely with the Alzheimer’s Society and set up THE DAVE WILLETTS FOUNDATION to help those who are living with dementia.

www.davewilletts.com