We're very excited to announce the cast and creative team for our revival of the hit Windrush Ska musical, THE BIG LIFE. Click here to book tickets.

Tinuke Craig directs Tameka Empson reprising her role as Mrs Aphrodite from the original production, joined by Juliet Agnes (Kathy), Danny Bailey (Admiral/Eros), Gabrielle Brooks (Sybil), Nathanael Campbell (Bernie), Khalid Daley (Dennis), Beth Elliott (Jacqueline / Secretary), Leanne Henlon (Mary), Rachel John (Zulieka), Karl Queensborough (Lennie), and Ashley Samuels (Ferdy). 

Further casting and musicians to be announced.

Completing the creative team are Jasmine Swan (Set and Costume Designer), Elliot Griggs (Lighting Designer), Emma Laxton (Sound Designer), Ian Oakley (Musical Director), Ingrid Mackinnon (Choreographer), Jacob Sparrow (Casting Director), Becky Livermore (Costume Supervisor), John Boqwana-Page (Production Manager), Vanessa Sutherland (Company Stage Manager), Emma Currie (Deputy Stage Manager), and Tayla Hunter (Assistant Stage Manager).

ABOUT THE SHOW
It's 1950s London, and Ferdy, Bernie, Dennis and Lennie arrive from the West Indies full of expectations and aspirations. 

Eager to make successes of themselves, they are optimistic about what the future holds, plus Dennis is certain that showing his brother’s posthumous medal from World War II will mean he is welcomed heartily. Building this new life will take focus and sacrifice, and the young men make the bold decision to forswear wine and women for three whole years and devote themselves to their future in London. 

Sybil, Mary, Zulieka and Kathy have other ideas. They know that man cannot live by bread alone! So each one's resolve is put to the test as the reality of life in a less-than-welcoming England, not to mention the weather, makes forgoing the warmth of female company hard to resist. Will the men stick with their idea of The Big Life, or will Cupid have the final say? 

A joyful and uplifting production, where the story of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost meets that of the Windrush generation in a fun-packed Ska musical that’ll have you dancing in your seats.

THE BIG LIFE returns to the stage 20 years after its Stratford East premiere and subsequent West End transfer.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES
BSL interpreted: Thu 14 March, 7.30pm 
Captioned: Fri 15 Mar, 7.30pm 
Audio Described: Sat 16 Mar, 2.30pm 
Relaxed Environment (what's this?): Sat 09 Mar, 2.30pm  

PAY WHAT YOU CAN PERFORMANCE (what's this?)
Tue 20 Feb, 7.30pm

CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Juliet Agnes (Kathy)
Theatre credits include The Tempest (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Wonder Boy (Bristol Old Vic), Anansi the Spider (Unicorn Theatre), West Side Story (The Prince’s Trust), Repunzel, Chicken Palace, Home Theatre UK (Stratford East), The Interrogation of Sandra Bland (Bush Theatre) and Monologue Slam (Triforce Promotions). Television credits include Dreaming Whilst Black, Top Boy, You Don’t Know Me, BBW, People Just Do Nothing and Meet the Adebanjos. Film credits include Upgraded, Third Sorrow and Sweet Taboo (Talawa Theatre Company). 

Danny Bailey (Admiral/Eros)
Theatre credits include A Strange Loop (Trafalgar Studios), The Pride (ATG/Fortune Theatre), Get Up, Stand Up! (Lyric Theatre), The Girl from the North Country (Runway Entertainment), Jesus Christ Superstar (Barbican Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Pitlochry Festival), King (Hackney Empire), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Hair, Motown the Musical (Shaftsbury Theatre), The Lion King (Lyceum), South Pacific (ATG), Flahooley (Sadler’s Wells), Blues Brothers (Erasmus Theatre), One Love, Gertie, Are You As Nervous As I Am? (Simon Spencer Productions), Dino Story (The Other Palace), Chicken Little (The Other Palace), Wheel of Misfortune (The Old Red Lion Theatre), Churchill (Lyric) and 1963 (The Cochrane). Radio credits include: The Dark Is Rising (Complicité/BBC). He is an Associate Artist at Brixton House and writer of Finding Olokun and Pressure, currently in the R&D stages. 

Gabrielle Brooks (Sybil)
Theatre credits include Milma's Tale (Kiln Theatre), Once On This Island (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical (Lyric Theatre - Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical), J'Ouvert (Harold Pinter Theatre), Anna Bella Eema (Arcola), Twelfth Night (Young Vic) and The Way of the World (Donmar Warehouse). Television credits include Shadow & Bone. Gabrielle was recently part of Michael Buffong's radio play Bess Loves Porgy and is the creative director of the Mawa Theatre Company. 

Nathanael Campbell (Bernie)
Theatre credits include Flowers For Mrs Harris (Riverside Studios), Just So (Watermill Theatre), Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre, West End and Abbey Theatre, Dublin – Stage Debut Award Nominee for Best West End Debut), Guys & Dolls (Talawa, Royal Exchange), Sunny Afternoon (UK Tour, Sonia Friedman Productions), Somewhere In England (Eastern Angles Theatre Company), All That Lives (Ovalhouse Theatre), When Blair Had Bush & Bunga (Bob & Co, Lee Menzies), We Raise Our Hands In Sanctuary (Inky Cloak, Albany Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (Custom/ Practice, National Tour). Television Credits: West Side Story (Reef TV/ BBC). 

Khalid Daley (Dennis)
Theatre credits include Choir Boy (Bristol Old Vic), Hamilton (Victoria Palace), Dick Whittington, War Horse (National Theatre UK & International Tour); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK & Ireland Tour); Hamlet (Changeling Theatre UK Tour); Careen – The True History of Bonnie and Clyde (Birmingham Rep); Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies (Birmingham Hippodrome). Television credits include The Great War, Doctors and 4 O’Clock Club: Hollywood.

Beth Elliott (Jacqueline / Secretary)
Beth is based in Brixton, South London. She graduated from LIPA in 2019 where she represented her year at The Sam Wanamaker Festival at The Globe. She is a Mezzo-Soprano vocalist and has experience in MT singing, choral singing and solo singing. Credits include: Black Love (Paines Plough / Tiata Fahodzi), All the Little Lights (Barewater Productions) and Cabaret (Treble Theatre Company); and TIE tours of Time Out and Skin Deep (Solomon Theatre Company).

Tameka Empson (Mrs Aphrodite - and Writer/Book) 
Tameka Empson is an actor, writer, comedian, and voice-over artist. Currently playing the role of Kimberly Fox in the BBC soap EastEnders, she has won five Inside Soap Awards, and the British Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2022. Tameka has lent her voice to a few children’s animations including Tinga Tinga Tales, Aliens Love Underpants, and most recently voicing the character of ‘Mummy’ in Jojo and Gran Gran for CBeebies. As a writer, she co-wrote and performed in the hit hidden camera shows 3 Non Blondes, and wrote a red button spin-off show for her character in EastEnders called Kimberley’s Palace. Not only did she write for and perform the character of Mrs Aphrodite in The Big Life (for which she received an Olivier nomination), Tameka is thrilled to be involved in its revival and feels it is an important piece that will entertain, connect with, and educate its audiences, both theatregoers and non-theatregoers alike. 

Leanne Henlon (Mary)
Theatre credits include Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner (Royal Court Theatre/Public Theater, New York), Jitney (Leeds Playhouse/The Old Vic) and Hot in Here (Gate Theatre). 

Rachel John (Zulieka)
Theatre credits include West End Does: Christmas (Cadogan Hall), Disney 100 shows (People Entertainment Group), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Royal Albert Hall), The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida), A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic), Songs For A New World (London Palladium), Girl From The North Country (Toronto/West End), West End Musical Celebration (Palace Theatre), Hamilton (Victoria Palace), The Bodyguard (West End/UK Tour), Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre), Rent (UK Tour), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre/UK tour), Godspell (Sir George Monoux College), Sister Act (London Palladium), The Legend of The Lion King (Disneyland Paris) and The Lion King (The Lyceum Theatre/ Asian Tour). Rachel released her debut album in April 2022 with Westway Music. The gospel album was recorded at the New Testament Assembly Church in Tooting. Entitled From My Lips To God’s Ear, the album showcases Rachel’s stunning voice singing some of her favourite hymns. Following  her album release in 2022 Rachel mesmerised audiences performing as the opening act for the legendary artist Dionne Warwick throughout her UK tour and West End run. 

Karl Queensborough (Lennie)
Theatre credits include Hamilton (Victoria Palace), BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall with Aurora Orchestra), Sylvia, Girl From The North Country (The Old Vic), A Wolf In Snakeskin Shoes, White Teeth (Kiln), The Little Match Girl (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Machine Stops (York Theatre Royal), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Filter), Only The Brave (Soho Theatre), Sleeping Beauty (Norwich Theatre Royal), Morning, Cinderella and Aladdin (Lyric Hammersmith). Television credits include: The Crown, Enterprice and Casualty.

Ashley Samuels (Ferdy)
Theatre credits include Once On This Island (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Oklahoma! (Young Vic), Hairspray (London Coliseum), Cruel Intensions (Assembly George Square Gardens, Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Night of the Living Dead Live (Pleasance), Fun Home (Young Vic), Motown: The Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), The Toxic Avenger (Southwark Playhouse) and The World Goes ‘Round (Stephen Joseph Theatre). Television credits include Prince Andrew: The Musical.