York Theatre Royal, in association with Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Buxton Opera House, today announces the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of Debbie Isitt’s Military Wives – The Musical. Debbie Isitt directs Kayla Carter (Faith), Emma Crossley (Bex), Jessica Daley (Jenny), Ashleigh Gray (Terri), Adrian Hansel (Luke), Sydney Isitt-Ager (Sarah), Joe Kelly (Adam), Bobbie Little (Olive/Paula), Billy Roberts (Dale/Simon/Andy), Caroline Sheen (Susannah), Rachael Wooding (Krissy) and Stewart Wright (Dave the Welfare Officer).
This new musical is inspired by the true story of the Military Wives choir and is based on the hit 2019 film Military Wives. The production opens at York Theatre Royal on 16 September, with previews from 10 September and runs until 27 September.
Joining writer/director Debbie Isitt to complete the creative team are George Dyer (Arranger, Orchestrator and Musical Supervisor), Katie Lias (Designer), Rory Beaton (Lighting Designer), Richard Brooker (Sound Designer), Rebecca Louis (Movement Director) and Marc Frankum (Casting Director).
Debbie Isitt said today: “I’m so excited to get started with this phenomenal cast and creative team to bring Military Wives – The Musical to life. It’s an uplifting and powerful story about friendship, courage, and finding your voice, and I can’t wait for audiences in York to be the first to experience it on stage.”
Paul Crewes, CEO of York Theatre Royal said today: “We are so excited to be investing in the creation of a brand-new British musical right here in York. Audiences can expect a really special show full of songs they will know and love!”
York Theatre Royal
In association with Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Buxton Opera House presents
MILITARY WIVES – THE MUSICAL
Inspired by a true story and based on the hit movie
Written and directed by Debbie Isitt
10 September – 27 September
Press night: Tuesday 16 September at 7:30pm
This Autumn, join us for the world premiere of a brand-new British musical, based on the 2019 hit movie Military Wives and inspired by a true story.
A joyous celebration of female friendship, courage and ‘unsung’ heroes. Get ready for the inspirational story of the Military Wives choir as they change the world one song at a time.
Written and directed by Bafta award winner Debbie Isitt (Nativity!), this new production is a funny, feel-good story of female empowerment and the perfect harmony of laughter, emotion and fun.
With their husbands and partners away at war, the women are isolated, bored and desperate to find a focus to take their minds off feelings of impending doom. Enter Olive who arrives on the ‘patch’ to help them form a choir and learn to sing. But Olive gets a lot more than she bargains for with this diverse group of women – who through the power of song find themselves facing their fears and making unexpected friendships along the way.
Featuring a fantastic mix of pop, rock and power ballads to make you laugh, cry and sing your hearts out!
Debbie Isitt is a BAFTA and EMMY award winning writer and director of film, television and theatre. Debbie originally trained as an actor and spent her youth touring the world with her internationally renowned theatre company, Snarling Beasties and after a successful run in London’s West End, her play The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband is still performed across the globe. In recent years Debbie has created a hugely successful UK film franchise by writing and directing (in her inimitable improvisational process) a series of blockbuster Christmas films; Nativity! starring Martin Freeman, Nativity 2 starring David Tennant, Nativity 3 starring Martin Clunes and Catherine Tate, and Nativity Rocks! starring Celia Imrie and Craig Revel Horwood, which have all been major box office hits. She also adapted and directed the hit stage show Nativity! The Musical, which will be returning in 2026. Last year, she wrote and directed a major new stage musical I Should Be So Lucky , featuring Kylie Minogue, based on the songs of hit factory composers Stock, Aitken and Waterman which embarked on an extensive UK tour. Her other films include Confetti and Christmas on Mistletoe Farm.
Kayla Carter plays Faith. Her stage credits include Sister Act (Australian Tour), I Should Be So Lucky (UK tour), The Color Purple (Curve Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome & UK tour), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (UK & Ireland tour), Rent (Hope Mill Theatre), Refresh (Underbelly Festival) and The Limit (Vaults Festival).
Emma Crossley plays Bex. Her stage credits include I Should Be So Lucky, Jersey Boys, Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK Tour), Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre) and Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre).
Jessica Daley plays Jenny. Her stage credits include I Should Be So Lucky, The Sound of Music (UK tour), The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), White Christmas, Billy Elliot, Grease, An Officer and a Gentleman (Curve Theatre), Lady Be Good (Teatro Massimo, Sicily), Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) and Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre).
Ashleigh Gray plays Terri. Her stage credits include Only Fools and Horses – The Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Nativity! The Musical (Hammersmith Apollo, UK tour), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre, UK & Ireland tour), Cool Rider Live (London Palladium & Duchess Theatre), Company (Aberdeen Arts Centre), The Secret Garden, Grease and Taboo (UK tour), Betwixt! and Vanities (Trafalgar Studios).
Adrian Hansel plays Luke. His stage credits include We Will Rock You (London Coliseum), Guys and Dolls (Sheffield Theatres), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Southwark Playhouse), Five Guys Named Moe (Marble Arch Theatre), The Distance You Have Come (Cockpit Theatre, Apollo Theatre), Carmen Jones (Old Vic), Carousel (National Theatre), Porgy and Bess (Royal Opera House), All You Need Is Love (Queen’s Theatre), Oh! What a Night (Australian Tour), Dancing in the Street (Playhouse Theatre), Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre, UK tour). His film credits include Matilda The Musical and Mary Poppins Returns.
Sydney Isitt-Ager plays Sarah. Her stage credits include I Should Be So Lucky (UK tour), Nativity! The Musical (Birmingham Rep). Her film credits include Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, Nativity!, Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger and Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?
Joe Kelly plays Adam. His stage credits include Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York (Criterion Theatre), I Should Be So Lucky (UK tour) and Saturday Night Fever (Royal Caribbean).
Bobbie Little plays Olive/Paula. Her stage credits include Standing at the Sky’s Edge (National Theatre, Sheffield Theatres) The Witches (National Theatre), Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Heathers: The Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Kiss Me, Kate (Sheffield Theatres), Rent, Hairspray (UK tour), Carrie (Southwark Playhouse), Malory Towers (Theatre by the Lake) and High Fidelity (Turbine Theatre). Her television credits include The Ex-Wife, The Flatshare, Testament and 40 Acres; and for film, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, The Grinch Live and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Billy Roberts plays Dale/Simon/Andy. His stage credits include Mrs Doubtfire the Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), Maiden Voyage (Southwark Playhouse), I Should Be So Lucky, Titanic the Musical (UK & Ireland tour), Nativity! The Musical (Birmingham Rep, UK tour, Hammersmith Apollo), Rock of Ages, Summer Holiday, Our House (UK tour), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Kilworth House Theatre) and The Wizard of Oz (Sutton Theatre).
Caroline Sheen plays Susannah. Her stage credits include Plaza Suite, Nine to Five (Savoy Theatre), Camelot, Under Milk Wood, Crazy for You (Watermill Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Kilworth House Theatre), Only the Brave (Wales Millennium Centre, Soho Theatre), City of Angels, Into the Woods (Donmar Warehouse), Putting it Together (The Other Palace), The Light in the Piazza (Curve Theatre), Once in a Lifetime, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (National Theatre), The Witches of Eastwick (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Mamma Mia (Prince Edward), Mary Poppins – Helen Hayes Award (UK/US tour), Les Misérables (Palace Theatre, Queens Theatre), Grease (Cambridge Theatre, Victoria Palace Theatre). Her television credits include Ghosts, Press, The Rook, Pitching In, Silent Witness, The Sister Boniface Mysteries: The Book Of Shadows, The Mallorca Files, The Way; and for film, Mr Burton, Four Kids and It, Nativity Rocks and Les Misérables.
Rachael Wooding plays Krissy. Her stage credits include Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynne Theatre, National Theatre, Sheffield Theatres), Pretty Woman (Piccadilly Theatre), Fat Friends The Musical, Wonderland, Evita (UK tour), Another Night Before Christmas (Bridge House Theatre), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre) and Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre).
Stewart Wright plays Dave the Welfare Officer. His stage credits include The Upstart Crow (Apollo Theatre), Datenight (Bristol Tobacco Factory), The Memory Of Water (Nottingham Playhouse), Much Ado About Nothing (Rose Theatre), The Railway Children (The Northcott Theatre), World Cup Final 1966, Wild Oats (Bristol Old Vic), Swallows and Amazons (Bristol Old Vic, Vaudeville Theatre, UK tour). His television credits include I Want My Wife Back, Love and Marriage, Marley’s Ghosts, Doc Martin and Small Axe; and for film, Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, Jungle Cry, Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?, Incendiary, A Good Year and Best Man.
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