The Empire Strips Back: a burlesque parody – full cast and costs announced for London premiere

The internationally acclaimed show The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody has today announced its full cast and hosts ahead of its highly-anticipated London premiere at Riverside Studios, opening on 2 May and with a gala night on May the Fourth.

Leading the evening’s festivities will be hosts Travis Jay (Comedy Central Live, Stand Up Sketch Show, Late Night Mash) and Pete Anderson (BBC Radio Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe), bringing high-energy humour to the galactic mayhem.
The ensemble cast features a stellar line-up of dancers and performers from across the globe. Taking to the stage are Brogan Paris (Cirque: The Greatest Show UK Tour, Dick Whittington and Beauty & the Beast at Harlow Playhouse), Ema Steindl (Marks & Spencer commercial, J Balvin World Tour, The Masked Singer Slovakia), Freja Nicole (Barbie: A Motion Capture Ad, The Brit Awards, performances with Dua Lipa and RAYE), Cass Tattersall, Jolie Ponchetti (Barbie, Royal Caribbean’s Piano Man, Kårera at Guam’s Sandcastle Theatre), Oakleigh Briscoe (London Fashion Week, ITV’s G’WED Season 2, Nationwide commercial), Samantha Ho (Cabaret West End, Black Mirror, Boomtown Festival), and Savane Boisleveau (has worked with Nike, Tate Modern, The Trafford Centre).

Joining the ensemble dance cast, David Devyne (Thriller Live, Flawless Dance Group, performances with Kanye West and Burna Boy, Britain’s Got Talent) appears as Han Solo, and Dennis Anin-Badu (The Brit Awards with Stormzy, Peaky Blinders, World of Dance Eindhoven) will bring Chewbacca to life with electrifying presence. Covering multiple roles, Ali LaLonde and George Bowskill join as talented understudies.

The Empire Strips Back is a loving and cheeky tribute that reimagines the galaxy far, far away through a hilarious immersive burlesque lens, packed with comedy, dance, and jaw-dropping production.

Created by Russall S Beattie and produced by NX5 Theatrical LLC’s David J Foster and Neil Gooding, the London production is directed by Bec Morris, with choreography by James Barry and Lisa Toyer. The production team includes UK General Manager Rebecca Gwyther, production manager Daniel Whiting, and lighting designer Peter Rubie.

Featuring parodies of all the classic characters, The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody takes audiences to a surreal galaxy far, far away, creating one of the most unforgettable (and entirely unauthorised) theatrical interpretations of the beloved franchise.

Transporting audiences to a world of burlesque fantasy, of menacing and sexy dance, of dangerous seduction, of hilarious parody, and even the droids you’re looking for. Your favourite characters are scantily clad, seriously sultry and live on stage!

Producer Neil Gooding said: “Bringing The Empire Strips Back to London for the very first time is a dream come true. This show started life as a small passion project in a Sydney bar, and now, after touring across the U.S., Australia, and beyond, we’re finally arriving in a city with one of the greatest theatre heritages in the world – and the place where much of the first Star Wars movie was shot!”

Producer David J. Foster continued: “London audiences are in for a wild, hilarious, and completely unforgettable night – we can’t wait to take over Riverside Studios and introduce the UK to our unique intergalactic spectacle.”