Rebecca Jayne-Davies and Ryan Bennett will star in The Barn Theatre’s upcoming production of Daddy Long Legs, the theatre’s first musical production of 2019.

The award winning musical with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and a book by John Caird, is based on the classic novel by Jean Webster that inspired the 1955 film starring Fred Astaire.

Directed by Kirstie Davis, with design by Gregor Donnelly and musical direction by Charlie Ingles, the production runs from October 2 to November 2 2019.

Daddy Long Legs is set in turn-of-the-century New England and tells the story of orphan Jerusha Abbott and her mysterious benefactor who agrees to send her to college, who she dubs ‘Daddy Long Legs’ after seeing his elongated shadow.

With a score of stunning musical numbers, Daddy Long Legs is the tale of two lives colliding and unfolding through Jerusha’s letters addressing her Daddy Long Legs, working as an insight into her innermost thoughts of the world.

The show is an uplifting piece of theatre that questions identity whilst highlighting the importance of education, imagination and love.

Daddy Long Legs is part of The Barn’s 2019 season of in-house productions.

It follows Shakespeare’s Henry V, the comedy, The 39 Steps and the season has one other production to come later in the year, the award-winning a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ festive masterpiece, A Christmas Carol, from November 27 to January 4.