Ride the Cyclone announces principal cast for London return at Southwark Playhouse
Ride the Cyclone has revealed its lead cast for the upcoming London revival at Southwark Playhouse, marking a notable return for the cult musical. Fans will see original cast members alongside new leads in the production running from June to August 2026.
Ride the Cyclone, the 90-minute musical by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, returns to London’s Southwark Playhouse from 19 June to 22 August 2026. The show follows six teenagers who perish in a rollercoaster accident and are trapped in limbo, offered a chance to return to life if they can convince a mysterious figure they deserve it most.
Originally premiering at Atomic Vaudeville in British Columbia in 2008, the musical gained wider recognition with its 2015 American debut at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theatre and later transferred Off-Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2016. Since then, it has been staged in cities including Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Sydney, and Buenos Aires.
The show has amassed significant acclaim, with its 2021 world premiere cast recording achieving hundreds of millions of streams across music platforms. It made its UK debut last year, with a WhatsOnStage critic describing it as “utterly exhilarating.”
For the London return, Kayna Montecillo and Josh Butler, known for Why Am I So Single?, will star as Noel. Returning cast members from last year include Grace Galloway, Robyn Gilbertson, Bartek Kraszewski, and Jack Maverick as Jane Doe, Constance, Mischa, and Ricky respectively—all of whom made their professional debuts in the show’s previous UK run.
The cast is completed by Nathaniel Purnell, who appeared in Shucked, and Rebecca D’Lacey, known for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, both returning as swings. Casting for the role of The Amazing Karnak is yet to be announced.
The production is directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, with musical direction and supervision by Ben McQuigg. The creative team includes Ryan Dawson Laight (set and costume design), Tim Deiling (lighting), Nina Dunn for PixelLux (video design), Tom Marshall (sound), and Richard Pinner (illusion). Casting is by Harry Blumenau, with associate direction by Eva Sampson and associate choreography by Jasmin Colangelo.
Ride the Cyclone is licensed by Concord Theatricals and managed by Jack Maple Productions, with production management by Toby P Darvill for Production Solutions Group.
