Smash-hit musical Dirty Dancing to explode on to the stage in Oxford

Theatregoers can get ready to have the time of their life as the smash-hit show Dirty Dancing returns to Oxford.
Cast from the last tour of Dirty Dancing EMN-180722-223606001Cast from the last tour of Dirty Dancing EMN-180722-223606001
Cast from the last tour of Dirty Dancing EMN-180722-223606001

The story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs Hungry Eyes, Hey! Baby, Do You Love Me? and (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life takes to the stage following two blockbuster West End runs, three hit UK tours and multiple international productions.

And it comes to the New Theatre, Oxford from Tuesday, December 4, to Saturday, December 8.

Cast from Dirty DancingCast from Dirty Dancing
Cast from Dirty Dancing

It’s the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing.

On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, she shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles across an all-night dance party at the staff quarters.

Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle, the resort dance instructor.

Her life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off, and two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.

Michael O’Reilly will star as Johnny Castle, one half of one of the best-loved duos in popular culture. Michael is making his professional debut in the show after graduating in dance and musical theatre from Bird College, and is thrilled to be donning Johnny’s shades and leather jacket. While training he performed as a dancer at The Classic BRIT Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and appeared in Magic Mike Live on the Britain’s Got Talent 2018 final.

Kira Malou will star as idealistic Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman. Kira played the role of Baby regularly during the 2016-17 UK tour, as well as being a member of the ensemble. A previous winner of The Stage Scholarship, Kira has performed as a dancer with Ellie Goulding on Children in Need.

She has also just finished her first TV series playing the lead role of Mimy in the new Disney series School Hacks.

Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage originally opened at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2006 with a record-breaking advance of £15 million, making it the fastest ever selling show in West End theatre history.

The production became the longest running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre and played to more than two million people during its triumphant five-year run.

Since its Australian debut in 2004, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage has become a worldwide phenomenon, with productions staged in the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout Europe, consistently breaking box office records. Recent tours in France, Germany and Australia were all sell-out smash hits.

The first ever UK tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage launched in 2011 and then returned to the West End in 2013 playing at the Piccadilly Theatre in London, prior to launching a second UK and Ireland tour.

A further tour and West End Christmas season followed in 2016/17.

Tickets start at £21.90 and can be bought from the New Theatre box office in George Street, by visiting www.atgtickets.com/oxford or calling 0844 871 3020.