West End producers have announced the cast of the musical based on Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments ahead of its run at London’s Palace Theatre from 21 September
Adapted from the popular novel concerning a group of working class Irish who form a soul band in mid-1980s Dublin, the cast features a mix of stage veterans and unknowns, many of whom shared the background of the story’s characters.
The lead role of band manager Jimmy Rabbitte will be played by 22-year-old Denis Grindel, who is making his West End debut.
Grindel, from Dublin, studied law at university, but has given it up to follow his dream of performing on the London stage. He fended off several thousand hopefuls who auditioned for Doyle’s new show to land the lead role.
The producers say they felt it was important to recruit and unleash a cast that is as hungry and in some cases raw as the characters they are playing.
Not only are some of the cast making their first West End appearances – such as Dubliners Sarah O’Connor, Stephanie McKeon and Jessica Cervi – but others who have come through the walk-up audition process are making their professional acting debuts, under the guidance of hit director Jamie Lloyd.
