The full cast has been announced for the musical adaptation of the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, which reunites director Matthew Warchus with composer and lyricist Tim Minchin after their hit partnership on Matilda the Musical, which will begin previews at The Old Vic on 16 August.
Phil Connors is a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the isolated small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, when he finds himself caught in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day again and again.
The musical's book has been written by Danny Rubin, who co-wrote the original screenplay with director Harold Ramis for Columbia Pictures. Design is by Rob Howell and choreography by Peter Darling, both of whom also worked on Matilda.
Connors will be played by Andy Karl, currently in the NBC series Law & Order: SVU as Sergeant Mike Dodds. Opposite him as Rita Hanson will be Carlyss Peer, who has been seen on stage as Ophelia in Hamlet and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both at Shakespeare’s Globe, and on screen as Bonnie Wallis in Holby City.
The ensemble cast will include Leo Andrew, David Birch, Ste Clough, Roger Dipper, Georgina Hagen, Kieran Jae, Julie Jupp, Andrew Langtree, Vicki Lee Taylor, Emma Lindars, Antonio Magro, Carolyn Maitland, Kirsty Malpass, Lisa Mathieson, Eugene McCoy, Jenny O’Leary, Leanne Pinder, Mark Pollard, Damien Poole, Jack Shalloo, Andrew Spillett and Spencer Stafford.
Groundhog Day will run at The Old Vic from 11 July to 17 September 2016.