Preview: Bonnie and Clyde UK Tour

It was the buzziest musical to hit the West End in a long time. With music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black and a book by Ivan Menchell, Bonnie and Clyde truly stole the hearts of London audiences. Now, a brand new cast will tell the story of two small-town kids who become the biggest American folk heroes on the show’s first UK tour!

The Cast

BONNIE

CLYDE

BLANCHE

Catherine Tyldesley (Feb – May & Sep – Oct)

Marvin ‘Buck’ Barrow

All dates

The Preacher

AJ Lewis (Apr – May & Aug – Oct)

The Press Launch

The Recs were invited to a press launch in Central London to give a flavour what to expect on the upcoming UK tour of Bonnie and Clyde. But before the performances, we were able to take a peak behind the scenes.

Then the gathered media were treated to a five-song showcase from the cast that will open the tour.

Alex James-Hatton (Clyde) & Sam Ferriday (Buck) opened proceedings with an energetic and thrillingly choreographed When I Drive.

Although Alex is following in the footsteps of impressive Clydes such as Jeremy Jordan and Jordan Luke Gage, we are happy to report the role is in safe hands.

After Katie Tonkinson (Bonnie) had performed a touching Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad, it was the turn of Catherine Tyldesley (Blanche), Sam Ferriday (Buck) and Company to give a spirited and hilarious rendition of You’re Going Back to Jail, a song where Blanche tries to convince her husband, who has freshly broken out of jail, to serve the rest of his sentence.

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What would Bonnie and Clyde be without Raise A Little Hell? James-Hatton, Ferriday and Daniel Reid-Walters were on fine voice, performing the reprise.

Rounding off the showcase in rousing style, the thrilling gospel stylings of Jaz Ellington on God’s Arms Are Always Open left us impatient for the Bonnie and Clyde UK tour to begin. What a voice! Have a listen!

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A Quick Chat with Catherine

After the showcase, we managed to catch the lovely Catherine Tyldesley for a quick chat.

Cath has become a household name playing TV roles like Kate Woods in The Good Ship Murder, Karen Norris in Scarborough and, of course, the irrepressible Eva Price in Coronation Street. But, while she graduated from the Birmingham School of Acting in 2005, it is perhaps a bit of a surprise that it has taken until now for the actress to make her musical theatre debut. We asked Cath why this show and why now?

“I love musical theatre. I trained in musical theatre but then I got really busy in film and television, which is really wonderful too. And we’ve had a few musicals come over the years and I said to my husband – as we’ve got two children now – I need to fall in love with something if I’m going to leave the home for a long time. But when this came in – and I listened to Blanche’s song That’s What You Call a Dream – it was my husband who turned to me and said you have to do this show.

And I’m a huge Frank Wildhorn fan. I love Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and the moment I heard the music from this, I knew it was the one.”

In Bonnie and Clyde, the character Blanche is the show’s moral compass but she’s very funny indeed. We wondered if Catherine was always drawn to playing characters who have humour within them.

“Yes. I love variation. And the further away from myself the character is, the more I enjoy a role. And Blanche is a million miles away, in a different era. It’s part of the reason I took the part. Some of Blanche’s stuff is heart breaking but then she gets these incredible one-liners that Ivan Menchell has written so brilliantly. Blanche is so witty and sarcastic and I love that about her. I feel I have a good mixture in the show.”

Obviously Blanche is based on a real life person. She spent four months as part of the notorious Barrow Gang and penned a memoir in prison about her life with Bonnie and Clyde. But watching Catherine’s performance at the showcase, she seemed to fill the character with so many small details, we inquired if someone else had informed her portrayal.

“Yes… I mean, I got loads from her diaries. That was just a dream as an actor to be able to reference that. But there is somebody – I don’t want to name names really because I don’t know whether they’d be offended – but there is somebody I grew up around that Blanche really reminds me of, in many ways. She was a huge influence on what I’ve done developing the character. “

“I don’t want to name names really because I don’t know whether they’d be offended”

Watching Catherine interact with Sam Ferriday (who plays Blanche’s wayward husband, Buck) in the showcase, especially during God’s Arms Are Always Open, there is such an immediate chemistry between the two actors. She agreed.

“You know what? They’ve played a blinder in casting this show. Sam is incredibly talented. His vocals are insane. As an actor, he’s very generous and I feel very safe working with him. I think that makes a big difference when things are so physical. I felt safe with Sam from Day One. We talk things through all the time and are constantly checking in on each other. He’s an absolute joy to work with!”

Rounding off our chat with Catherine (also an absolute joy), we asked what she was most and least looking forward to about going out on tour with Bonnie and Clyde?

“Most – I think visiting so many iconic theatres. There are so many places I’m think to myself ‘My God, I can’t believe I’m performing there’. So yes it’s the theatre for me that’s the most exciting. The least will be missing my children – because that’s really tough. And I’ll see them as much as I possibly can but I’m not denying it’ll be hard. They’re going to meet me in loads of different cities so it’ll be an adventure for them.”