Lauren Oakley to Make Musical Theatre Debut as Roxie Hart on 2027 Chicago Tour
Lauren Oakley will make her musical theatre debut as Roxie Hart in the 2027 UK and Ireland tour of Chicago, the long-running musical about two women on death row who turn their crimes into headlines. The cast was announced on WhatsOnStage on 5 November 2026. Oakley is best known to television audiences from Strictly Come Dancing.
The tour opens at New Wimbledon Theatre in south-west London, with performances from 5 to 13 February 2027. Oakley leads the company from the opening date, 5 February.
Adam Garcia will play Billy Flynn, the lawyer who takes on Roxie's case. Charlotte Gooch will play Velma Kelly, the other woman on the cell block, and Jonathan Dryden Taylor will play Amos Hart, Roxie's husband.
R. Leonard will play Mary Sunshine, the newspaper reporter who has a role in the story's satire of the press. For Leonard, the tour marks a professional debut.
Mama Morton, the prison matron, is the one role with two names attached to it. Mica Paris will play the part at the first venues, running through to Brighton. Sam Bailey takes over the role in Manchester. In Birmingham, the two performers will share it.
The shared casting is a common approach on touring productions, where one performer may not be able to cover every date across a long run.
The tour is a reminder that Chicago keeps returning to British stages with new faces in its leading roles. Anyone planning a visit should check venue websites for dates, prices and booking fees.
