Cast announced for My Beautiful Laundrette 2024 UK Tour |

Casting has been announced for Leicester Curve’s 2024 UK tour of Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette.

Gordon Warnecke, who played Omar in Stephen Frear’s Oscar-nominated 1985 film of the same name, returns to the drama as Omar’s wise but world-weary Papa. Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Millennials, The Other Palace) will play Omar, while Sam Mitchell (To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre) will play Omar’s fascist former school-friend, Johnny.

My Beautiful Laundrette is based on Kureishi’s ground-breaking 1985 Oscar-nominated film of the same name and the production features original music composed by the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

Curve’s production, originally staged in 2019 will see the return of Kammy Darweish (Linck & Mulhahn, Hampstead Theatre) as Omar’s enterprising Thatcherite uncle Nasser, Paddy Daly (New Blood, BBC One) as right-wing thug Genghis and Hareet Deol (Ackley Bridge, Channel 4) will reprise his WhatsOnStage Award nominated performance as Salim, Nasser’s right-hand man.

Completing the company are Emma Bown (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Duke of York’s Theatre), playing the roles of Nasser’s lover, Rachel, and skinhead, Moose, and Sharan Phull (Pink Sari Revolution, The Importance of Being Earnest, Scrooge the Musical, all at Curve) as Nasser’s daughter, Tania.

Set in South London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of Omar. After a confrontation with a racist gang, including his former school-friend Johnny, Omar uses their history to defuse the situation. Against a backdrop of nationalism, racial tensions, financial crisis and political turmoil, the pair come together to transform a run-down laundrette and realise their feelings for one another.

Originally directed by Nikolai Foster, the upcoming tour is directed by Nicole Behan. The production features original music composed by the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, set and costume design by Grace Smart, lighting by Curve Associate Ben Cracknell and sound design by Tom Marshall. Casting is by Harry Blumenau.

My Beautiful Laundrette tour will open at Curve Leicester from 17 – 24 February 2024, the play will then travel to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (28 February – 9 March 2024), Theatre Royal Wakefield (11 – 14 March 2024), The Lowry, Salford (19 – 23 March 2024), Liverpool Playhouse, Salford (26 – 31 March 2024) and Blackpool Grand (2 – 6 April 2024).

The tour will be supported by the National Theatre, as part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships initiative – a collaborative network of arts organisations, united in their shared aim to strengthen relationships with local audiences, schools and communities.