The cast has been revealed for Caroline: A New Musical, a new production inspired by the famed offshore pirate radio station. The show will tour East Anglia in 2026, opening at Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre.

Caroline: A New Musical, written by Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul and Alex Thorpe, follows a young woman whose life changes when her boyfriend joins Radio Caroline. The station was known for broadcasting pop and rock music from a ship off the Essex coast during the 1960s.

The production features a cast of actor-musicians performing songs from the era. Claire Lee Shenfield stars as Caroline, with Jake Halsey-Jones as Robbie and Nicola Bryan as Betty. The ensemble also includes Gareth Cooper, Joey Hickman, Rhiannon Hopkins, James Lawrence, Jerome Lincoln, Perry Meadowcroft and Eloise Richardson.

The show will open at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich on 17 April 2026, then tour to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, New Theatre Peterborough, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds through June.

The creative team comprises sound designer Helen Atkinson, set and costume designer Stella Backman, dramaturg Titilola Dawudu and voice coach Charmaine Hoare. Fight and intimacy direction is by Haruka Kuroda, with lighting by Callum Macdonald, musical direction by Paul Schofield and choreography by Sundeep Saini.

Produced by the East Anglian Touring Consortium, the show is supported by Arts Council England. The consortium aims to foster local talent and reach diverse audiences across the region.

Tickets will be priced from £15 to ensure accessibility for audiences at all venues. The production continues the trend of new UK musicals exploring cultural moments from the 1960s.