FORUM ANNOUNCE YOUTH MUSICAL CAST FOR ‘EVITA’
The wait is over! The Millennium Forum can now reveal the most anticipated news of the summer . . This year’s youth production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s award-winning hit musical, Evita, will perform at the North West’s premier theatre next month and the lead cast have just been announced.
In the coveted title role of Eva Peron is local actress, Willow McIntyre. A 17 year-old student at Lumen Christi College, Willow is also performing this summer as Catherine of Aragon in the Playhouse’s youth production of SIX. No stranger to the stage, she has performed in numerous Playhouse productions through their Bridge Programme. Other past experience includes Hume: Beyond Belief in the Guildhall and Four Days In Derry which toured throughout Ireland. Willow is also a member of Foyle School of Speech & Drama and the McGinley School of Music. Although this is Willow’s first Millennium Forum youth production, she has already been a part of the West End touring production of Evita when it performed at the Forum a number of years ago; Willow was the child soloist for this production.
Joining Willow are Aidan McLaughlin as Peron and Aaron McAteer as Che. Aidan McLaughlin is an upcoming actor from Derry who began his training at aged 15 when he joined a local drama group. He has recently graduated from the NWRC where he gained a HND in Performing Arts. No stranger to the Forum stage, Aidan made his stage debut in The Phantom of the Opera in 2022 and has since gone on to perform in numerous local productions including Little Shop of Horrors (The Playhouse), The Birdcage (NWRC - Armand), The White Handkerchief (Millennium Forum Productions - Gerald Donaghey), Oaklahoma! (LMS – Will Parker) where he was nominated for best actor in a supporting role within a musical.
Aaron McAteer is a talented young performer with a strong passion for musical theatre and the performing arts. Aaron has built an impressive range of stage experience through a variety of productions and theatre societies. His previous roles include Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (Fortwilliam Musical Society Youth), Pharaoh and Reuben in productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Lisnagarvey Operatic and Drama Society and Fortwilliam Musical Society) Youth, Lyle in Footloose (St Patrick’s Choral Society), and Crapshooter in Guys and Dolls (Belfast Operatic). He hopes to continue developing his talents by studying theatre professionally and pursuing a future career in the performing arts.
Clara Clements as Mistress and Daithi McBrearty as Magaldi complete the lead cast. Clara has finished her second year studying at The Hammond on the Musical Theatre course in Chester where she has proudly held the position of Dance Captain for her year group for the past two years. Clara is a student with The Rainbow School of Dance where she trains extensively in tap, modern, acro and ballet. She is also a member of the Long Tower Folk Group. Alongside her training, she has been an active member of LMS, performing in numerous productions over the years, including the role of ‘Milkmaid’ in Oliver. She has also played the role of ‘Martha’ in the Grove Theatre’s production of High School Musical. Clara has been a prominent member of the Millennium Forum Youth Theatre over the years, including performing as ‘Carmen Diaz’ in ‘Fame’ in 2023. She has also been involved in the Millennium Forum pantomimes for eight years as part of the junior cast and had the privilege of stepping up to the senior cast as a swing performer.
Daithí McBrearty is a 19 year-old performer from Buncrana, Co Donegal. He has been performing on stage since he was six and has just finished his first year studying drama and music at University College Dublin. He has over fifteen years of dance experience in a variety of styles, but he focuses mainly on street/commercial. Daithi played a lead role in the Millennium Forum's 2023 production of 'Fame!' and went on to work at a professional capacity as a performer in the 2023 Pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.
The Ensemble Cast features Eva-Marie Kane, Aine Williams, Niamh Murray, Erin Wilson, Leia Doherty, Maisie Boyd, Esme Finch, Maria McLaughlin, Roisin Bradley, Faye McCarron, Lois Tait, Lucie Birney, Kaelah Mellon, Emma Murray, Shannan McKinley, Freya Cummings, Rosie Maguire, Eilidh Wild, Caitlyn Ferry, Ethan Barron, Conor McColgan, Charlotte Doran, Lillymay Tolley, Belle Wilson, Eve Cooke, Owen Donaghy, Kaci McLaughlin, Annie Nicholas, Sean Lennon, James O’Toole, Niamh McGonigle, Leah McGonigle, Emily Divers, Isabella Ortega Hernandez and Eve Cooke.
An all local youth orchestra will accompany the hugely talented young cast. They are: Ava Canning, Shane McFerran, Oisin O’Donnell, Gavin Cavanagh, Aoife Boyle, Keyla Duffy, Cahir Doolin, Michael Lennon, Ryan McNeill, David Sweiden, Bethany Kelly, Paul Carlin, Evie Patterson-Mclaughlin, Enya Lynch, Erin Campbell and Aedan McLaughlin.
A tech crew consisting of Alyssa Kelly, Eva McCay, Aoibhinn McDermott, Fitz-Ambrose Smith, Rebecca Doole, Rianna Kelly, Sophie Duffy, Thomas Garside, Zara Burke, Kai O'Callaghan and Dearbhla Duddy, complete the company.
From the creators of Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, comes a powerful and poignant story set to an unforgettable score. Join us as we journey through Eva Perón’s ambitious and often controversial life, from her humble beginnings to her remarkable ascent to power and fame.
‘Evita’ is a show like no other, featuring iconic songs such as ‘Don't Cry for Me Argentina,’ ‘Buenos Aires,’ and ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall.’ With its compelling story and stirring music, ‘Evita’ has captivated audiences around the globe and continues to be a timeless classic in musical theatre. More recently, it enjoyed a London Palladium revival with Rachel Zegler leading the cast.
EVITA performs on the Forum’s stage for four nights, 29th July until 1st August as part of the theatres’ 25th Anniversary celebrations. Tickets are now available. Telephone the Box Office on 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings. Proudly sponsored by Craft Training, Evita at the Millennium Forum is an amateur youth group production by arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd.
ENDS
