Two West End performers - Katie Paine and Jordan Carr - have been announced as leads in the upcoming musical, We Will Rock You. It will be staged at the Mediterranean Conference Centre this October.
FM Theatre will be staging the smash hit show following their recent sell-out successes My Fair Lady and Mamma Mia!. It will be staged for the first time ever locally, and the theatre company is elated to have acquired the highly-sought-after rights to the show.
Based around the greatest hits of the legendary British rock band Queen and with its book by Blackadder writer, Ben Elton, We Will Rock You is one of the most popular and longest-running musicals in West End history. It has enthralled the world's audiences across six continents with many of the band's iconic songs including Radio Gaga, Somebody To Love, Bohemian Rhapsody and - of course - We Will Rock You.
"We are thrilled to be the first company in Malta to have acquired the rights to this incredible show and we can't wait to bring it to the stage," says producer Edward Mercieca. "We Will Rock You always brings the house down wherever in the world it is staged, with incredible casts performing the songs of one of the world's most iconic and timeless rock bands. Now is the turn of Malta's audiences to experience this spectacular show, with an equally brilliant cast that can rival any other in the world."
For its Malta debut, We Will Rock You will feature top West End talent alongside other well-known local performers. Katie Paine will be taking on the role of Killer Queen, the show's villain. She is bringing to the Maltese stage her experience as first cover in the West End production from 2011-2014 at The Dominion Theatre, over which time she played the role more than 300 times.
Jordan Carr, meanwhile, is also no stranger to the West End stage. He has travelled the world performing in musicals in a variety of roles including Frank 'N' Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Jordan has also recently finished playing the lead role in Boogie Nights The Musical in London, and is now set to join the Malta cast of We Will Rock You in the role of Galileo Figaro.
This West End-quality cast will take on the popular musical's famous story, which is set in a distant future where Earth is named Planet Mall, all inhabitants must dress, think and act the same, and where musical instruments are forbidden. Using the framework of Queen's classic songs, a small group of Bohemians rebel against the system, and fight to restore free thought, fashion, and, most of all, music.
The show will be spearheaded by leading director Chris Gatt, alongside musical director Kris Spiteri, choreographer Warren Bonello and vocal coach Analise Cassar. The stellar cast will also feature renowned local performers Edward Mercieca, Francesco Nicodemo, Michela Agius, Tezara Saliba and David Ellul.
We Will Rock You is produced by FM Theatre Productions, with performances at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta on 18 October at 8pm, 19 October at 2.30pm and 8pm, and 20 October at 2.30pm and 8pm. More information may be found at www.fmtheatre.com and tickets are available online at www.mcc.com.mt.