Claire Sweeney will join the UK touring production of Dolly Parton’s smash-hit 9 to 5 The Musical, it has been announced.
Sweeney will play the role of ‘Violet Newstead’, famously played by Lilly Tomlin in the hit film and more recently played in the West End and on tour by Louise Redknapp and Caroline Sheen. Sweeney joins the production from 13 January 2022 until 5 March 2022
Best known for playing ‘Lindsey Corkhill’ in TV soap Brookside, Claire’s other television credits include Clocking Off and Merseybeat along with a presenting role on 60 Minute Makeover and as a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women.
Claire’s West End credits include ‘Roxie Hart’ in Chicago and ‘Miss Adelaide’ in Guys and Dolls. She most recently appeared as ‘Irene’ in the National Tour of Crazy For You. Other theatre credits include the National Tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Educating Rita at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London; the title role in Shirley Valentine; ‘Paulette’ in the UK tour of Legally Blonde; and Tell Me on a Sunday.
The UK touring cast of 9 to 5 The Musical features Vivian Panka as ‘Judy Bernly’, Stephanie Chandos as ‘Doralee Rhodes’, Sean Needham as ‘Franklin Hart Jr.’, Julia J. Nagle as ‘Roz Keith’ and Russell Dickson (Evita) as ‘Joe’.
The cast is completed by Alexander Bartles, Sierra Brewerton, Rebekah Bryant, Emily Bull, Demmileigh Foster, Sonny Grieveson, Callum Henderson, Joshua Lear, Ross Lee Fowkes, Sarah-Marie Maxwell Jon Reynolds, Clayton Rosa, Kirsty Anne Shaw, Ricardo Spriggs, Grace Walker, Emily Woodford, and Richard Taylor Woods.
Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture, the musical is written by Patricia Resnick, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It is directed by Jeff Calhoun, choreography by Lisa Stevens, design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Mark Crossland, musical direction by Andrew Hilton and casting by Victoria Roe.
2022 tour dates include Southend Cliffs Pavilion (11-15 Jan), New Theatre Oxford (18-22 Jan), Glasgow King’s Theatre (25-29 Jan), New Victoria Theatre, Woking (1-5 Feb), Sheffield Lyceum (8-12 Feb), Stoke Regent Theatre (22-26 Feb), and Manchester Palace Theatre (1-5 Mar).
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