Jonathan Bailey has announced today that he is dropping out of the Barbican’s upcoming revival of Sunday in the Park with George, weeks after his former co-star Ariana Grande withdrew.
Jonathan Bailey confirmed today that he has dropped out of the West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George, due to take place at the Barbican next summer. Just a few weeks ago, his co-star Ariana Grande was forced to step back from the production. Bailey confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media, saying his support for Grande remains unwavering and describing director Marianne Elliott as “extraordinary” and one of his longest collaborators.
The full statement reads:
Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering. Marianne is extraordinary and one of my longest collaborators and friends.
After much consideration, I have decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George.
This brilliant, introspective musical has been a real passion project for me, and I feel incredibly lucky to have shared in its journey with this team. Among many things, the story explores the deep connection between George and Dot, a beautiful, devoted pairing, and I so look forward to seeing what the two actors who will now take on these roles will create with it.
I wish the very best to the entire company. I will be cheering them on as they continue with this production.
Jonny x
A much anticipated revival
Bailey and Grande were first announced for the production in January 2026, reuniting after their collaboration on Wicked and Wicked: For Good. The new revival is due to be directed by Marianne Elliott with design by Tom Scutt, and produced by Empire Street Productions in association with the Barbican Centre.
Originally set for a summer 2027 opening, the onsale for tickets was expected in May 2026 but were pushed back to autumn, allowing Grande to complete her “The Eternal Sunshine Tour,” which concluded with a run at London’s O2 Arena on 1 September. Grande withdrew from the project in early August, with producers confirming at the time that her role would be recast and that the production would continue as planned.
With both original leads now departed, the Barbican and Empire Street Productions have not yet announced new casting for either role.
About the show
Sunday in the Park with George, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, was inspired by Georges Seurat’s pointillist painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The musical follows a fictionalised version of Seurat as he devotes himself to completing the painting while navigating his relationship with his lover, Dot, before its second act shifts generations to explore his cynical great-grandson’s own creative and emotional inheritance.
The duo would also pair up for Into the Woods, which was recently revived at the Bridge Theatre and transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre later this month.
Related News
See Thom Yorke and cast in rehearsals for Hamlet Hail to the Thief, the Radiohead-fuelled Shakespeare adaptation heading to the Barbican
Rules for surviving the woods, from the cast of Into the Woods: Stay fed and keep your eyes open
Into the Woods reviews: critics agree the West End transfer keeps its magic
See newly released production images as Into the Woods casts its spell on the West End
Latest News
Everything you need to know about The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal in London
Nina Raine’s sweeping new adaptation of Middlemarch arrives at the RSC: See brand-new images from the production
What to expect from Pride the Musical ahead of highly anticipated transfer to the Bridge Theatre
