A musical based on the life of Princess Diana is to open in London.
Kerry Ellis will play Princess Diana
The life of the royal - who married Prince Charles in 1981 but divorced from him in 1996 and died the following year in a car crash at the age of 36 - has been documented in the musical 'Diana' by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro and following a run of just 33 performances on Broadway, will now premiere in the tragic princess' home country later this year, WhatsOnStage has revealed.
A trailer released for the production describes Diana as: "Mother. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Philanthropist. Icon. Princess."
Amongst the cast are West End legend and former 'Wicked' star Kerry Ellis - who will share the role of the titular royal with Maiya Quansah-Breed - as well as 'Loose Women' panelist and former 'Coronation Street' actress Denise Welch, who will play the part of the late Queen Elizabeth.
News of the production comes more than a year after a filmed version of the Broadway show was released on Netflix, starring Jeanna de Waal in the leading role.
In a statement, Eventim Apollo said: "On this stage she is in control of her narrative and her story is brought to life with humour and satire and in turn reveals a woman who, having just signed her divorce papers, sees a future filled with opportunity.
Following its viral Netflix recording, this will be the first time the UK has seen this iconic Broadway musical live on stage. Featuring brilliant, 80s-inspired mega-hit show-tunes, and guest-starring Denise Welch as The Queen, this show promises to be a fabulous night out."
The musical will play at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on 4 December 2023.
For tickets and more information, go to https://www.eventimapollo.com/events/diana/.
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