Star Lesley Garrett brings Broadway smash to Belfast in first Northern Ireland production of Sondheim hit Follies

Acclaimed British soprano Lesley Garrett CBE was today (5th) announced as having her name in lights about the city’s Grand Opera House in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning Broadway smash Follies – the first time the show has been professionally staged in Northern Ireland.

Marking 45 years in the industry, Lesley steps into the role of a fading diva in the tale of a group of former showgirls reuniting in their old and now decaying theatre to reminisce about their time treading the boards in the 1920s and 30s, with old professional and romantic rivalries bubbling just under the surface.

The 1971 musical, which also spawned a hit single in the 1980s, when Liza Minelli covered its song ‘Losing My Mind’ with the Pet Shop Boys, is being revived by Northern Ireland Opera in a major production with a 35-piece orchestra.

Says Lesley: “I’m so excited to be coming back to Belfast and especially to be making my debut with Northern Ireland Opera at the age of 70. Sondheim’s Follies is a masterpiece and I’m delighted to have been given the once in a lifetime opportunity to perform the iconic role of Heidi Schiller. Come and join me on this fabulous adventure.”

Welcoming her to the ensemble is music theatre royalty and one of the UK’s finest jazz vocalists, Jacqueline Dankworth MBE, who returns to the stage in her first Sondheim musical for 30 years.

The cast also includes renowned West End performers Anna-Jane Casey, Annette McLaughlin, Alasdair Harvey and Belfast’s own Mark Dugdale, who between them have racked up credits including Chicago, Matilda, Guys And Dolls, and The Commitments.

Actress Allison Harding, recently in hit Channel 5 detective series Ellis and currently based in Belfast, rounds out the major players.

It’s helmed by the opera company’s Artistic Director Cameron Menzies, who was nominated Best Director for Irish Theatre Award-winning show Into The Woods in 2022, and marks eight long years since Follies last appeared on a UK stage. Newly welcomed to the creative team is Musical Director Greg Arrowsmith, who this year celebrates conducting his 21st West End show in a career spanning 25 years.