PRESS RELEASE

• Roger Allam and Philip Quast receive universal critical acclaim for their roles as Albin and Georges.

• John Barrowman takes over in the role of Albin from September 14th

Critics and public alike remain unanimous in their praise for La Cage Aux Folles as it welcomes its third pair of leading men. Roger Allam and Philip Quast, who took over in the roles of Albin and Georges at the end of April, have won universal acclaim following their press night on May 11th. 
 
Such is the appeal of the show that following Roger Allam and Philip Quast’s run, it will be joined by star of screen and stage John Barrowman in the role of Albin from September 14th until November 28th.

Having created the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the first series of Russell T Davies’s revamped Doctor Who for BBC TV, the character created such an impact that he was given his own spin off series, Torchwood, which premiered in the Autumn of 2006 on BBC3 and BBC2. It received the highest viewing figures of any drama on a non-terrestrial channel, and a second series subsequently aired on BBC2. John returned to our screens in Doctor Who series three and four, and Torchwood has successfully premiered around the world, garnering the best viewing figures ever on BBC America. Torchwood series three will air on BBC1 in 2009.

John’s multi-talents have gained him a high profile on a variety of prime-time television shows, including as a judge on the award-winning BBC1 entertainment shows searching for new West End leading stars, I’d Do Anything, Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and hosting his prime-time Saturday entertainment show Tonight’s the Night. In addition, he opened and closed the 2006 Royal Variety Show and has guested on episodes of Hotel Babylon and My Family for BBC1and was the subject of a BBC1 documentary entitled The Making of Me, investigating the science of homosexuality.

In November 2007 John’s solo album Another Side was released by Sony Music and went Gold. In November 2008 Sony’s Epic label released Music Music Music, and John was seen singing the single What About Us, written by Gary Barlow, on the Royal Variety Show. He will soon be heard singing the role of Raoul in the concept album recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new Phantom musical Love Never Dies. In January 2008 his autobiography Anything Goes, which he wrote with his sister Carole E. Barrowman, was published by Michael O’Mara Books and reached number 2 in the Sunday Times best seller’s list, remaining in the top ten for 13 weeks. The paperback version was published in February 2009, and a follow up autobiography I Am What I Am will be published in October 2009.

John undertook a sell out solo UK concert tour in April 2008. He is currently on a second UK concert tour, which will culminate in one night at the Royal Albert Hall, and will play various summer concerts throughout the UK.

Born in Glasgow, where he spent his early years, John moved with his family to the United States, living in Illinois, and later studied Musical Theatre at the US International University in San Diego, California.

Whilst taking further study in the UK in 1989, he landed his first professional role, starring as Billy Crocker opposite Elaine Paige in the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes at the Prince Edward Theatre. This catapulted John into a career as a leading man in musical theatre, with further West End credits including Matador opposite Stefanie Powers at the Queen’s Theatre, Chris in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, The Beast in Beauty And The Beast at the Dominion Theatre, Sam Mendes’ premiere production of The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse (for which John received an Olivier Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical), Claude in the 25th Anniversary production of Hair at the Old Vic, and Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi Theatre, playing opposite both Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige. He subsequently reprised the role on Broadway, where he also starred opposite Carol Burnett in the Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together. Other theatre work includes Alex in the Irish premiere production of Aspects Of Love in Dublin, Che in Evita at the 6,000 seat Spektrum Arena in Oslo, and Brandon in Rope at Chichester Festival Theatre.

After a very successful run as Bobby in Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, John returned to London theatre in a hugely successful revival of Anything Goes directed by Trevor Nunn at the National Theatre, which subsequently transferred to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Whilst at the National John also appeared as Dumaine in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost also directed by Trevor Nunn. He subsequently played Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, before making his West End straight play debut, playing opposite Rob Lowe in A Few Good Men at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. He made his pantomime debut as Prince Charming in Cinderella at the Wimbledon Theatre and the following year he played a sell out run in the title role in Jack and the Beanstalk at the New Theatre, Cardiff. In 2007/8 he played the title role of Aladdin at the Birmingham Hippodrome, breaking all box office records, returning for the 2008/9 season in the title role of Robin Hood, breaking all box office records again!

John’s movie roles include playing the Lead Tenor in the movie of the Mel Brooks’ musical The Producers starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman. He played the role of Jack opposite Kevin Kline in De-Lovely, with Liz Hurley in Method and the cult classic Megalodon - Shark Attack 3.

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ENDS