Complete Casting Announced for The Color Purple at London's Menier Chocolate Factory

The complete cast has been announced for the European premiere of the hit musical The Color Purple at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Directed by Tony winner John Doyle, the production will begin performances on July 5, with an official opening night on July 15. The Color Purple will play a limited engagement through September 14.

The cast of The Color Purple will star Cynthia Erivo as Celie, Nicola Hughes as Shug, Adebayo Bolaji as Harpo and Abiona Omonua as Nettie, Lakesha Cammock as Squeak, Christopher Colquhoun as Mister, Sophia Nomvete as Sofia, Neil Reidman Pa and Keisha T. Fraser as Churchwoman. The ensemble will include Marc Akinfolarin, Ashley Campbell, Leon Lopez and Gabriel Mokake.

Adapted from Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, an abused woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. The show features a book by Pulitzer and Tony-winner Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.

The musical originally premiered on Broadway in December 2005 at the Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 910 performances. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones, the production starred LaChanze, Brandon Victor Dixon, Felicia P. Fields, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Kingsley Leggs. The Broadway mounting earned 11 Tony Award nominations, winning Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (LaChanze). The show also nabbed the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite New Musical.