Splurge Guns At The Ready as Bugsy Malone Plays Wales Millennium Centre

Have your Splurge Gun ready for action as Bugsy Malone plays Wales Millennium Centre this January. Andy Howells investigates.

Wales Millennium Centre’s Donald Gordon Theatre is set to come under attack from Splurge Guns as the musical Bugsy Malone arrives at the venue from January 17, 2023 on it’s debut UK tour.

Anyone who remembers Alan Parker’s 1976 movie of the world-famous musical comedy will no doubt be looking forward to this live-action stage presentation directed by Sean Holmes, choreographed by Drew McOnie with design by Jon Bausor.

The Bugsy Malone movie launched the careers of Jodie Foster and Scott Baio and received eight BAFTA® nominations and three Golden Globe® nominations including Best Motion Picture for a Musical. The new stage presentation features several instantly recognisable songs from Oscar®-winner Paul Williams including My Name is Tallulah, You Give a Little Love and Fat Sam’s Grand Slam.

Set in the New York prohibition era, Bugsy Malone features a city full of mobsters, showgirls, and dreamers. Rival gangster bosses Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are at loggerheads. The custard pies are flying, and Dandy Dan’s gang has gotten the upper hand since obtaining the new-fangled “splurge” gun. Now, Fat Sam and his bumbling buffoons are in real trouble!

Enter Bugsy Malone, a penniless one-time boxer and all-round nice guy, thrust not-so-willingly into the gangster limelight when he becomes the last resort for Fat Sam’s hapless hoodlums. All Bugsy really wants to do is spend time with his new love, Blousey, but that just isn’t on the cards for our hero.

Will Bugsy be able to resist seductive songstress Tallulah, Fat Sam’s moll and Bugsy’s old flame, and stay out of trouble long enough to help Fat Sam to defend his business?

Maintaining Bugsy Malone’s traditional upbeat energy on the musicals first ever professional UK tour are a talented cast of young performers, aged between 9 and 15 as well as adult performers.

The lead roles will be performed by three young casts of seven in rotation.   Bugsy Malone will be played by Shaun Sharma, Gabriel Payne and Amar Blackman, Blousey Brown by Mia Lakha, Delilah Bennett-Cardy and Avive Williams, Fat Sam by Albie Snelson, Isham Sankoh and Charlie Burns, Tallulah by Taziva-Faye Katsande, Jasmine Sakyiama and Fayth Ifil, Fizzy by Aidan Oti, Jamie Northey-Dennis and one performer yet to be announced, Lena/Babyface by Cherry Mitra, Kayla-Mai Alvares and Ava Hope Smith and Dandy Dan by Rayhaan Kufuor-Gray, Kit Cranston and Desmond Cole.

They are joined by adult ensemble members: Georgia Pemberton, Alisha Capon, Lucy Young, D’Mia Lindsay Walker, Jessica Daugrida, Alicia Ally, Alicia Belgarde, Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Luchia Moss, Kalifa Burton, Rory Fraser, Andile Mabhena, Thomas Walton, Ru Fisher, Mohamed Bangura, Marcus Billany, Luke Mills and Will Lucas.

• Bugsy Malone plays Wales Millennium Centre from 17-21 January 2023. For booking details visit Wales Millennium Centre’s website.