Centenary Theatre Company is bringing the much-loved musical Annie back to The Brindley in Runcorn this November.
The Warrington-based theatre company will perform the family favourite from November 17 to 21, marking its fourth production of the musical following the previous performances in 1986, 1996 and 2013.
Featuring some of musical theatre’s best-known songs, including Tomorrow, It’s the Hard Knock Life and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile, the production promises an evening of music, laughter and heartwarming entertainment for audiences of all ages.
Set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, the musical follows the story of Annie, a spirited young orphan determined to find her parents and a better life beyond the walls of Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.
When she is invited to spend Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, her life takes an unexpected turn, but Miss Hannigan and her scheming brother Rooster have other plans.
Dan Grimes, director of the production and Chairman within Centenary Theatre Company, said: “The cast have been working incredibly hard to bring this production together, and it’s been fantastic seeing everything start to take shape.
With such a well-loved show, people naturally have high expectations, but I think audiences are going to be really impressed by the talent we’ve got on stage.
This will be Centenary’s fourth production of Annie, so it’s clearly a show we love coming back to. It’s going to be exciting to introduce audiences to a new generation of performers.”
The production will see a cast of local performers bring the familiar characters to life, alongside professionally trained dog actors, with Louie and Dave playing Annie’s loveable dog Sandy.
Sharing the iconic role of Annie are young performers Katelyn Pratt and Molly Hughes, who will alternate performances throughout the week. When asked about their favourite moments from rehearsals, both picked It’s the Hard Knock Life, praising its energetic choreography and the chance to perform alongside their friends. Working (and playing) with Louie and Dave, the dogs playing Sandy, has also been a particular highlight.
When asked about whether they were familiar with Annie the Musical before auditioning, Molly said “Yeah, I love the old Annie movie — it’s a classic! It’s been really fun getting to re-enact scenes from the film with all the other cast members. Everyone is really nice and talented.”
Katelyn added: “I didn’t really know much about Annie before starting rehearsals. I hadn’t seen any of the movies before but now after learning the songs and the story, it’s definitely my favourite show!”
Earlier in the year Centenary Theatre company announced that they would be dedicating the musical Annie to Warrington-born actor, Tim Curry. Curry gave a performance as the villain, Rooster, in the 1982 movie adaptation.
Tickets are priced from £22.50 for Children and £27.50 for adult tickets, with family ticketing options. Tickets are available via Quaytickets.com. https://www.quaytickets.com/thebrindley/en-GB/shows/annie/events/2
