Jason Manford to star in musical Curtains by Kander and Ebb on UK tour

Jason Manford is to star in an upcoming UK and Ireland tour of Kander and Ebb's musical Curtains.

The piece has a book by Rupert Holmes, with an original book and concept by Peter Stone and additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes. It will be directed by Paul Foster.

The tour begins at Churchill Theatre Bromley on 4 October this year and will continue until 4 April 2020. The piece heads to cities including Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield, Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Glasgow with more dates yet to be announced.

Curtains follows what happens when Broadway star Jessica Cranshaw is murdered on opening night. Musical theatre fan and detective Frank Cioffi is tasked with finding the murderer. The show originally premiered in 2006 in Los Angeles and opened on Broadway in 2007. Ebb and Stone both died before the musical was completed.

Manford plays Cioffi, following his turn in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Producers. His other credits include playing Pirelli in Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls.

Choreography for the show is by Alistair David, musical supervision and arrangements are by Sarah Travis, set design is by David Woodhead, costume by Gabriella Slade, lighting by Tim Mitchell, sound by Tom Marshall and
casting is Jim Arnold.