View the latest photos and videos of brand new show NOW That’s What I Call a Musical – touring the UK and Ireland in 2024 and 2025.

New in are production photos for the show, which is written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans, and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.

The show celebrates 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOW That’s What I Call Music, and this new musical will be bursting with hits from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet and so many more.

NOW That’s What I Call A Musical starts performances on 6 September 2024 at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre before touring the UK and Ireland tour – see all tour dates here.

Photos: NOW That’s What I Call A Musical – production

Photos: NOW That’s What I Call A Musical – Rehearsals

A cast of famous faces

A fabulous cast incudes Nina Wadia (Goodness Gracious Me, Eastenders) in the lead role of Gemma, with Melissa Jacques (I Should Be So Lucky, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) and Sam Bailey (The X Factor, Chicago), sharing the role of April.

They are joined by special guest pop stars playing themselves at selected dates, and singing the songs that made them NOW icons, including Sinitta, Sonia, Carol Decker and Jay Osmond.

The show will also star Kieran Cooper (Strictly Ballroom) as Younger Tim, Christopher Glover (The Kite Runner) as Dad, Chris Grahamson (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical) as Tim, Maia Hawkins as Younger April, Lauren Hendricks (Much Ado About Nothing) as Ms Dorian, Shakil Hussain (Frankie Goes to Bollywood) as Frank, Nikita Johal (Spring Awakening) as Younger Gemma, Luke Latchman (Sunset Boulevard) as Younger Frank, Matthew Mori as Younger Steve, Phil Sealey (TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera]) as Steve, Callum Tempest (Miss Saigon) as Barney and Poppy Tierney (Cabaret) as Mum.

The cast is completed by Emily Barnett-Salter (Annie), Molly Cheesley (Jane Austen’s Emma), Lizzy Ives, Stefanos Petri and Martha Pothen (Oliver!).

Video: NOW That’s What I Call a Musical – First day of rehearsals

What’s the show about?

The show starts in Birmingham in 1989 as two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?

The creative team bringing the show to life

Joining Craig Revel Horwood in the creative team are Set and Costume Design by Tom Rogers & Toots Butcher, Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Mark Crossland, Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell, Sound Design by Adam Fisher, Wigs & Hair Design by Sam Cox, Associate Direction by Guy Woolf, Associate Choreography by Aaron Renfree, Associate Sound Design by Ollie Durrant, Casting by Annelie Powell CDG and Production Management by Setting Line.

Book tickets to NOW That’s What I Call a Musical – UK & Ireland tour

UPDATED: first published 15 August 2024 with rehearsal photos & cast information. Updated 10 September 2024 with production photos from the run at the Aylesbury Theatre.

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Main photo: Shakil Hussain as Frank & Nina Wadia as Gemma in NOW That's What I Call A Musical, credit Pamela Raith

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