The cast for the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical at the Hall for Cornwall next month has been announced, including one very familiar face.

Cornwall’s own Edward Rowe from Falmouth, known for his comedy character Kernow King, as well as being star of the BAFTA-winning film, Bait and Hall for Cornwall’s Christmas shows Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk, will be playing one of the band members.

Joining him will be Calum Callaghan (Mr Selfridge) plays Danny, a fish-out-of-water music manager who stumbles across a group of shanty singing fishermen in Port Isaac, Cornwall. The leader of the band, Jim, played by Deka Walmsley (Billy Elliot, Macbeth), takes some convincing to sign up his friends and family to the world of music recording.

He is joined by his fellow fishermen: Jago played by Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey) who is originally from St Austell, Leadville played by Mensah Bediako (Master Harold and the Boys), Rowan played by Dan Buckley (The Book of Mormon), Dinger played by Rakesh Boury (Rock of Ages), Wiggie played by Matt Slack (Blood Brothers) and Archie played by Hadrian Delacey (The Phantom of the Opera).

Star of stage and screen Susie Blake (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street, Nativity 3, Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack’d, Mrs Fisher in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) joins the company as pub landlady Maggie, alongside Parisa Shahmir (The Last Ship) as Alwyn, Deborah Tracey (Standing At The Sky's Edge and Hall for Cornwall’s 2017 Christmas show, Sleeping Beauty) as record label manager Leah and Georgia Bruce (Malory Towers) as Sally.

Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey), originally from St Austell, plays Jago, while Susie Blake (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street ) joins the company as pub landlady Maggie

Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey), originally from St Austell, plays Jago, while Susie Blake (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street ) joins the company as pub landlady Maggie

The cast is completed by on-stage actor-musicians, James William-Pattison, Annie Grace, John O’Mahony, Louise Beadel and musicians Hazel Askew, Alfie Gidley and musical director James Findlay (winner of the BBC Young Folk award 2010).

Julien Boast, CEO and creative director at Hall for Cornwall, said: “We’re excited to be welcoming such a talented cast of actors, including home-grown talent from Cornwall, to raise the curtain on this world premiere, the first show in our inaugural season and the first co-production of our in-house production company, Cornwall Playhouse Productions.”

Edward Rowe said: “I am absolutely delighted to be in Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical. It has so much heart and joy and I couldn’t think of a more perfect show to open the new Hall for Cornwall.”

Performances will run from Wednesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 30 and this will be Hall for Cornwall’s first major production to take to the stage following a three-year, multi-million pound transformation of the venue in the centre of Truro.

Tickets are available from £15 via www.hallforcornwall.co.uk or the box office on 01872 262466.

It follows the true-life story of when a group of Cornish fishermen came together to sing the traditional working songs they’d sung for generations, hoping to raise a few quid for charity. Nobody, least of all the fishermen, expected the story to end on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury.

The musical features hit shanties made famous by the band including Keep Haulin’, Nelson's Blood, No Hopers Jokers & Rogues and Sweet Maid Of Madeira.

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical is directed by James Grieve and written by Amanda Whittington, with choreography by Olivier-nominated Matt Cole, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, musical supervision by David White, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Johanna Town and casting by Jim Arnold.