Dirty Dancing names Baby, Johnny and Penny for West End return
Pippa Jackson will play Baby Houseman opposite Michael O'Reilly as Johnny Castle when Dirty Dancing returns to the West End in January 2027.
Producers confirmed the casting on 30 September. Emily Layden-Fritz will play Penny Johnson, completing the show's central trio of dancers.
The production, billed as Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, will play the Prince Edward Theatre from 19 January 2027 to 24 April, according to the announcement WhatsOnStage. It is a limited season, meaning it has a fixed closing date rather than an open-ended run. No extension has been announced.
The dates follow a change of address. Dirty Dancing had been due to be the first show at the new Capital Theatre. That venue's opening was postponed, and the musical moved to the Prince Edward instead.
O'Reilly is coming back to a part he knows well. He previously played Johnny Castle at the Dominion Theatre and on the UK tour. Johnny is the holiday-camp dance instructor at the centre of the story. His return gives audiences a familiar face in the lead role.
Jackson takes on Frances 'Baby' Houseman. Baby is the young holidaymaker whose summer holiday changes course when she meets Johnny and the resort's dance crew. The 30 September announcement confirmed Jackson in the role for the Prince Edward run.
Layden-Fritz joins the company as Penny, Johnny's dance partner. Her previous credits include CATS! and Let Me Entertain You BroadwayWorld. Penny is a key member of the entertainment staff at the resort where the story is set.
The stage musical is based on the classic 1987 film WhatsOnStage. It follows Baby's stay with her family at a summer resort in the Catskills. Dance rehearsals, staff shows and secret lessons drive much of the plot.
For fans, this means the main pieces are now in place. The venue is set. The dates are fixed. The three leads are named.
The Prince Edward run starts in mid-January and closes in late April. That is a winter-to-spring slot of just over three months. Further company members for the London run have not yet been detailed in the confirmed material.
