Further cast joining Kevin McHale in Sondheim’s The Frogs revival confirmed

Exclusive: Further company members have been confirmed for the London revival of The Frogs, led by Kevin McHale.

The musical comedy has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Nathan Lane.

Directed by Georgie Rankcom, the production reimagines Aristophanes’ ancient Greek satire, which was originally written in 405 BCE. The story follows Dionysos, the god of theatre, and his servant Xanthias on a journey to the underworld in search of a solution to societal strife. Along the way, they encounter frogs who resist change and challenge their mission to save civilisation.

Kevin McHale will make his UK stage debut as Xanthias, while joining him will be Dan Buckley as Dionysos, Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Herakles, Carl Patrick as Charon, Bart Lambert as Shakespeare and cover Xanthias, Martha Pothen as Shaw and cover Dionysos, Alison Driver as Ariadne and swing, Evonnee Bentley-Holder as ensemble and cover Shaw and Charon, and Milo McCarthy as ensemble/dance captain and cover Shakespeare and Herakles.

Further casting for the role of Pluto will be announced shortly.

The show will play at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 23 May to 28 June 2025. It is presented by the Grey Area, (following their WhatsOnStage Award-nominated 2022 staging of Anyone Can Whistle at Southwark Playhouse) alongside Samsational Entertainment, Benson Drive Productions, Melissa and Bradford Coolidge, Thomas Hopkins Productions, Nelson and Tao and Eric Kuhn for Folk Productions.

Making up the creative team are Ben McQuigg as musical supervisor, Yshani Perinpanayagam as musical director, Matt Nicholson as choreographer, Libby Todd as set and costume designer, Samuel Biondolillo as lighting designer, Joshua Robins as sound designer, Tim Sutton as orchestrator, Peter Noden as casting director, Elliot Aitken as assistant director, Fletcher Dobinson as associate choreographer, Adam Smith as production manager, Waverley Moran as stage manager and Evie Graham-Brown as assistant stage manager. Rebecca Pitt has made the show artwork, Sam Barnes is sound number one and Luke Pisano is wardrobe supervisor.

The Frogs was first adapted for the stage by Shevelove in 1971, in a Yale University production performed in a swimming pool. Sondheim later expanded the score for a 2004 Broadway revival, with additions by Lane. The Southwark staging continues a tradition of revisiting Sondheim’s lesser-known works.

Tickets are on sale via the venue website.