Nina Wadia to lead ‘Now That's What I Call A Musical’

Nina Wadiais set to star in the world premiere of NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, a new British musical featuring iconic hits from the NOW music brand.

Directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, the show will celebrate 40 years of NOW music with chart-topping hits and a heartfelt story set in Birmingham in 1989 and 2009.

The production will premiere on September 6, 2024, at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre before embarking on a UK and Ireland tour.

The EastEnders and Goodness Gracious Me actress will play Gemma. She will be accompanied by guest stars such as Sinitta, Sonia, Carol Decker, and Jay Osmond.

Sinitta will perform in Aylesbury, Sheffield, Canterbury, Nottingham, and Norwich with Sonia in Newcastle, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, and Brighton, Decker in Truro, Belfast, and Woking, and Osmond in Bradford and Dartford.

Excited about the opportunity, Wadia said, “I grew up listening to the NOW tapes so for me being a part of this musical is like going home. When I read the script I immediately fell in love with the characters and Pippa’s story. I can’t wait to get started on my first-ever musical and to see you all there later this year.”

The synopsis reads: "It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business - planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham in 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames, and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?"