Former runner-up on television talent show Pop Idol, Gareth Gates, will be hitting Cardiff’s New Theatre next year as part of the touring company for Footloose: The Musical.
This musical is inspired by the 1980s movie of the same name, which featured Kevin Bacon, and centres on Ren, an American kid from the city who arrives in a small country town where there is a ban on dancing.
This gives the show – and film – its name, as Ren goes on to get the entire town dancing after he breaks out his own moves in an act of rebellion, and the show features a raft of hit songs from the period.
These include the likes of the title song, Let’s Hear it for the Boy, Almost Paradise and Holding Out for a Hero, and the stage show has attracted rave reviews for previous performances.
It seems certain to prove a big hit with musical fans in the city, but the New Theatre will be able to call on shops offering flyer printing in Cardiff, to ensure that it is well promoted ahead of the opening.
Gates is set to play the role of Willard throughout the Cardiff run of the show, having previously performed in successful stage productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Legally Blonde and Les Misérables.
The show will be on during February and March next year.
