CORONATION Street star fan favourite lands a huge new gig with two Hollywood stars after leaving the cobbles 18 years ago.
The child actor was the only member of his on-screen Corrie family to escape the axe in 2005.
Casting has been revealed for Stephen Sondheim and David Ives Here We Are, which will run at the National Theatre next April.
Richard Fleeshman at the age of 12, played the role of Craig Nelson, in ITV soap Coronation Street and quickly became a fan favourite.
His mother Angela had witnessed a murder in their home city of Sheffield and the family moved to Weatherfield under Witness Protection.
Craig started dating Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan) and this infuriated her mother Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) as she was trying to get Rosie to become a star.
Sally tried breaking the pair up but failed and eventually they became goths, pushing Sally and Rosie’s father Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) to breaking point.
Craig and Rosie then hatched a plan to run away to Berlin, to start a new life together.
However, in Paris, Rosie changed her mind and told Craig that she couldn’t leave her family behind.
After a tearful goodbye, Craig vowed to Rosie everlasting love and left Paris, and the cobbles forever.
It was revealed by Rosie a week later that Craig had begun work at a hostel with his friend in Berlin.
After exiting the soap in 2006, Richard’s stardom continued to rise and he joined the company of Legally Blonde in London, taking over from Duncan James in the role of Warner.
In 2009, he played the role of Kyle Caddick in a six-part BBC drama series All the Small Things allowing him to act as well as sing.
He also starred in the West End production of Ghost: The Musical, playing the lead part of Sam Wheat and went on to star as Bobby Strong in the UK premiere of the hit satirical musical, Urinetown,
Among further theatrical success he appeared in TV series The Ark, Call The Midwife and Death in Paradise.
This year he played William Shakespeare in a West End concert of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Now he is set to play the role of Walter in the UK premiere Marjorie Prime at The Menier Theatre in London.
Here We Are features a score by Sondheim, a book by David Ives, and direction by Joe Mantello.
It is inspired by two films – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel – by Luis Buñuel.
The show follows a group of guests who find themselves unable to leave a dinner party, and was first seen at the Shed in New York in 2023, where it earned critical praise.
Richard will be starring alongside two huge Hollywood stars Jane Krakowski and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Jane is best known for her role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, but she has also appeared in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ally McBeal, Everwood, Law & Order, and The Simpsons.
Jesse is a huge Broadway star and has had lead roles in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Fully Committed, and appeared in The Producers, and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
In television, Jesse is best known for his role as Mitchell Pritchett in the sitcom Modern Family.
The show will run in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre from 23 April to 28 June 2025, with tickets going on general sale on 16 October.
