Jenna Russell to Star in U.K. Premiere of The Bridges of Madison County at the Menier

Olivier winner and Tony nominee Jenna Russell will headline the upcoming U.K. debut staging of the acclaimed musical The Bridges of Madison County. The previously announced production, directed by Trevor Nunn, will begin previews on July 12 and open on July 23 at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Russell earned an Olivier Award for her turn as Dot in Sunday in the Park with George, a performance she later reprised on Broadway to Tony-nominated effect. Russell's other London stage credits include Fun Home, Guys and Dolls, Les Misérables, Amy's View, Urinetown and Merrily We Roll Along.

Based on Robert James Waller's bestselling novel and featuring a book by Marsha Norman and a Tony-winning score by Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County centers on Francesca (Russell), an Italian immigrant housewife living a happy existence on a farm in the American Midwest. When her family goes off to the Iowa State Fair, she meets Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer on assignment filming bridges in the area. Their initial friendship develops into a brief but passionate affair which has devastating consequences.

Additional casting for the Menier production will be announced soon.