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No gimmick: why star casting is about more than just box office

Long ReadsMay 25, 2023

Julia Chan, Lily Allen, Jake Wood and Hadley Fraser in 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre, London, in 2021. Photo: Helen Murray

Julia Chan, Lily Allen, Jake Wood and Hadley Fraser in 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre, London, in 2021. Photo: Helen Murray

Casting a celebrity in a stage role can draw in the crowds, but it can also be controversial. Theatremakers tell Lyn Gardner how there is more to it than people realise and why it can be a game changer for all concerned

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