Producers of the popular show American Idiot, currently playing in the West End, have confirmed that Green Day’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical will embark on a national tour from 19 March 2016, following its critically acclaimed London run. The show, which is currently running at the Arts Theatre, will begin it’s tour at the Curve Theatre, Leicester, with other confirmed venues including the Palace Theatre, Manchester; New Theatre, Cardiff; Kings Theatre, Portsmouth; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; Exeter Northcott Theatre; Sunderland Empire and King’s Theatre, Glasgow.
Further venues and casting are yet to be announced, however Amelia Lily (star of the The X Factor) has confirmed that she will reprise her role of Whatsername from 5 April at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. Touring the production will mean bringing the show to a wider audience who haven’t had a chance to see it in London, something Lily is particularly looking forward to. She is a singer who finished third on the eighth series of The X Factor in 2011, and her debut single, “You Bring Me Joy”, was released in 2012, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. American Idiot is Lily’s West End debut and she previously starred as the Narrator in the UK tour of Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The musical – which features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and a book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer – opened in London in July. The show is directed and choreographed by Racky Plews, with musical supervision by Richard Morris. It tells the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world and features hit songs including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” “21 Guns” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and the title track “American Idiot”.