The War Of The Worlds

Jason Donovan, will return to the cast of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds for The New Generation Tour, previously a leading light of the phenomenally successful tour as The Artilleryman, Jason will return as Parson Nathaniel, the disturbed holy man driven to insanity by the Martian invasion of earth.

Jason says,"I am delighted and very excited to be going back on tour with The War of The Worlds and taking on the new role of Parson Nathaniel. The New Generation is going to have some fantastic effects and I, for one, can't wait to see the 3D hologram of Liam Neeson! It's going to be a whole new show and a whole new experience."

West End star Kerry Ellis will play his wife Beth, "I was already thrilled to be part of such a credible cast," says Kerry, "and now to add Jason Donovan into this is fantastic - he's an inspirational West End star and international heartthrob. Having Jason cast as my husband is a teen dream come true"

Also confirmed is Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson in the role of The Artilleryman.

Hollywood star Liam Neeson will appear in the new production, for the first time, in the holographic role of The Journalist, taking over from Richard Burton's iconic narration on the original album, and previous tours. The groundbreaking, full body, live action hologram is an extraordinary performance from Liam, who interacts with the live performers, including passing objects between hologram and reality!

In addition to a long career in TV, and success in the charts, Jason has starred in acclaimed productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sweeney Todd and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, before joining the 2010-11 tour of The War of The Worlds.

Such is his reputation that Andrew Lloyd Webber has chosen Jason to mentor contestants for the new ITV talent show, Superstar! searching for the lead in the new production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Jeff Wayne says, "I'm not aware of any performer who has portrayed a leading character in one production, then returned in the next playing an entirely different role. But such is Jason Donovan's diverse talent, this is exactly what he will be doing. Having been a magnificent Artilleryman in our 2010 production - that of a dreamer with a plan for Mankind's survival underground - he will now tackle the role of Parson Nathaniel, who has lost all faith in Humanity and the ability to survive on top of it. I have no doubt Jason will bring a vibrant interpretation to this character, and I welcome him back to The War of The Worlds - Alive on Stage!"