Jonathan Bailey withdraws from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE as producers rebuild cast

Jonathan Bailey has withdrawn from the forthcoming London revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, leaving producers to replace both performers at the centre of the original casting announcement. Bailey disclosed his decision on 1 September 2026, about four weeks after Ariana Grande left the production. Empire Street Productions is now recasting and reshaping the company while retaining its plan to stage the musical at the Barbican in summer 2027.

In his Instagram Stories statement, as reported by The Stage and London Theatre, Bailey described Grande as one of his dearest friends and emphasised his continuing support for her. He also characterised the musical as a passion project, praised director Marianne Elliott and anticipated the work of the two actors who will eventually take over George and Dot. He supplied no specific reason for stepping back and did not say Grande‘s earlier withdrawal caused his decision.

Empire Street Productions confirmed Bailey‘s departure and said the revival remains in development. In the producer statement reported by WhatsOnStage and The Stage, casting discussions were described as active, with the creative team rebuilding the production around a new company. The immediate consequence is clear: the pairing used to launch the revival has gone, but the announced Barbican season remains in place.

The official Barbican event page, checked on 2 September 2026, continued to list the production for summer 2027. It also retained Elliott as director and Tom Scutt as designer. No changes elsewhere in the creative team have been announced, although the extent of the planned reshaping has not been detailed. Empire Street Productions is producing the revival in association with the Barbican.

The project’s timeline has shifted substantially since its formal announcement on 14 January 2026. Bailey and Grande were then named as the stars, creating a stage reunion for the WICKED performers, with the Barbican engagement set for summer 2027. Tickets were initially expected to go on sale in May 2026. The current venue listing instead places the on-sale period in autumn 2026, exclusively through the Barbican website and box office.

Audiences checking the project online may encounter outdated information. During research, Empire Street Productions’ own project page still listed Bailey and Grande and retained the original May 2026 ticket timetable. The Barbican page had been updated to reflect both departures and the autumn sales window, making it the current official reference for the production’s status. Nothing in the updated listing indicates that tickets have already been sold or that a refund process is required.

Grande‘s withdrawal was confirmed on 2 August 2026. Producers said at that point that the revival would continue and that replacement casting would follow. The Associated Press reported that her representative said she planned to reduce her public visibility after completing the ETERNAL SUNSHINE TOUR. No more specific explanation for her decision has been established by the reliable sources reviewed.

Bailey‘s 1 September announcement now supersedes AussieTheatre’s 10 August report, which accurately said at the time that he remained attached after Grande left. Earlier AussieTheatre coverage traced the revival’s initial plans, Grande‘s withdrawal and the public account of her planned hiatus. The new development is different in production terms: both central performers from the January announcement must now be replaced.

Elliott remains a point of continuity in the currently listed team. She and Bailey previously worked together on the West End productions of COMPANY and COCK. Bailey‘s statement conveyed continuing regard for Elliott‘s work and interest in what the incoming actors and creative team would make of the revival. The Barbican listing does not indicate whether the rebuilding process will alter any other creative appointments.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. First produced on Broadway in 1984, it received the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Industry reporting has described the Barbican engagement as the first major London production of the musical in approximately two decades, making the planned season a relatively rare major London revival of the work.

Although often discussed within the wider West End and London theatre market, the announced venue is the Barbican in the City of London rather than the geographic West End. No Australian engagement, transfer or cinema distribution has been announced. Australian and other international theatregoers therefore have only the planned London season on which to base travel decisions at present.

Important practical details remain open. No actors have been announced for George, Dot or the wider company, and the Barbican has not published exact performance dates, an opening night, a closing date or the run’s length. It has also not specified the precise autumn ticket-sale date, prices or priority-booking arrangements. Confirmation of the new cast is now the next major production milestone, followed by the detailed schedule and booking information needed before audiences can plan for summer 2027.

Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com