'Idiot' to tour U.K.

Green Day tuner "American Idiot" will play an eight-week U.K. tour next year. Unlike most imported U.S. tuners, which open cold in the West End, the show, produced in the U.K. by SJM Concerts and Flying?Entertainment, will open on the road in Southampton in October 2012. The tour continues to Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham before playing one week in December at London rock venue HMV Hammersmith Apollo. The production, which ran for about a year on Broadway and won Tonys for scenic design and lighting, will be helmed by original Broadway director Michael Meyer ("On a Clear Day You Can See Forever") and will feature an American cast. Brit incarnation's producers are reportedly seeking a West End berth to follow the tour. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com