Gemma Arterton in Made in Dagenham (c) Alex James
Gemma Arterton will star in new musical 'Made in Dagenham'.
The Hollywood actress has been cast in the lead role of Rita O'Grady in a brand new stage adaptation of the hit film, coming to the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End on Wednesday 5 November, with previews from Thursday 9 October.
The story, set in Essex, dramatises the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that aimed for equal pay for women.
It focuses on working mother Rita and her fight for justice when Ford's Dagenham car plant announces all female employees will have their pay grade dropped to 'unskilled'.
Gemma enthused: "I'm beyond thrilled to be playing Rita O'Grady in 'Made in Dagenham'. It's an important story that I'm passionate about telling, and we intend to tell it with wit, warmth and, of course, a lot of singing and dancing in this production! Roll on October!"
The Almeida Theatre's artistic director Rupert Goold is directing, with music from Grammy award-winning composer David Arnold and lyrics from Olivier Award winner Richard Thomas.
Gemma will take to the stage opposite Adrian der Gregorian as her husband Eddie.
Rupert said: "From my first watch of 'Made in Dagenham' I knew it was a piece I wanted to be involved in bringing to the stage. It's such an engaging, relatable and vital story and I'm convinced as a musical we can bring even more to it when we mount our production at the Adelphi.
"We've got some big ideas, some brilliant original music and I can't wait to get going with our cast. It's particularly exciting too, that the cast will be led by the luminously talented Gemma Arterton and the unspeakably charismatic Adrian Der Gregorian, who I'm delighted are playing the leads at the centre of this big-hitting, big-hearted musical."
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