AFTER a brief lull this month due to a show cancellation it’s all action again at the county’s leading theatre venue when Little Miss Sunshine, the quirky off-Broadway hit musical plays a week long run at Malvern’s Festival Theatre.

The show is making its European premiere tour in a brand new production currently touring the UK.

Based on the Academy Award-winning film by Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine is the off-beat musical comedy created by the Tony Award-winning team of James Lapine (who collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George) and William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos).

This new production stars Irish actress and singer Lucy O’Byrne as Sheryl, the matriarch of the eccentric Hoover family, alongside Mark Moraghan as Grandpa (the role that won Alan Arkin an Academy award).

Lucy O’Byrne shot to fame on The Voice (BBC) in 2015 and was the runner-up that year.

Her theatre credits include Eva Peron in Evita (UK, Ireland & Germany Tour), Fantine in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre – West End), Maria in The Sound of Music (UK and Ireland Tour) while Mark Moraghan recently appeared as Tim Richards in Emmerdale and is perhaps best known for his roles as Adrian Mortimer in Coronation Street, Owen Davis in Holby City, Ray Wyatt in Dream Team, Greg Shadwick in Brookside and Eddie Quinn in London’s Burning.

The Hoover family has more than a few troubles, but young Olive has her heart set on winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest in the resumed Malvern calendar following the loss last week of Saturday Night Fever.

It’s an uplifting show of which Arcola artistic director, Mehmet Ergen, said: “In uncertain times, we all need a little bit of Sunshine. This is the story of a family coming together to celebrate their differences - and that speaks to the heart of Arcola Theatre’s ethos.”

Little Miss Sunshine is at the Festival from Tuesday, August 27 to Saturday, August 31.