Celebrities in the West End
London's West End is an exhilarating world of superb singing, awe-inspiring dance moves and celebrities...
That's right, the West End is the place to be if you want to see your favourite stars in action. A whole array of A-listers have taken to the stage of late and here you can see exactly what they are all up to...
Shrek The Musical
Well-loved fairytale Shrek The Musical is currently running at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and stars:
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh has taken over from Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona in this family-friendly production. Better known as a member of pop sensation Girls Aloud, with 20 consecutive top 10 singles under their belt, including four number ones in the UK, Walsh is sensational in the role, looking the part in an amusing fat suit and green body paint.
Nigel Lindsay
Nigel Lindsay plays the role of loveable ogre Shrek in this hugely popular tale. No stranger to the stage Lindsay has appeared in many productions including Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre and the Olivier Award-winning production of The Pillowman. A diverse performer, Nigel also appeared in the 2010 controversial film Four Lions.
Richard Blackwood
Richard Blackwood is currently treading the boards as Donkey, Shrek's lovable sidekick. A natural performer, Blackwood recently played the role of Brightie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a the Novello Theatre and is a well-known stand-up comedian. Wonderfully cast, Blackwood's charisma and charm are ideal for the role of, happy-go-lucky, parfait-loving Donkey.
Nigel Harman
Nigel Harman absolutely dazzles on stage as the arrogant and ruthless ruler of Duloc, Lord Farquaad. Extremely funny, Harman plays the role on his knees with two fake legs hanging in front of him and delivers some of the best lines in the production. A popular actor, Harman made his name in EastEnders, playing the role of bad boy Dennis Rickman and has enjoyed a successful career in theatre, having starred in shows such as Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre.
The Wizard of Oz the musical
The Wizard of Oz is currently showing at the London Palladium and stars:
Danielle Hope
Danielle Hope leads the cast as Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's sensational production of The Wizard of Oz. She rose to fame as the winner of TV reality search Over The Rainbow and is currently donning the red slippers at the London Palladium. Book tickets for the Wizard Of Oz with Show and Stay and see the nation's Dorothy live on stage
Sophie Evans
Sophie Evans, the runner-up of TV talent search Over The Rainbow, plays the lead role of Dorothy on Tuesday evenings and during Danielle Hope’s holidays (the weeks beginning September 5 and September 12, 2011). A natural onstage, the Welsh beauty performs the well-loved character with real heart and is a joy to watch.
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford, well-known for originating the title role of The Phantom of the Opera stars as The Wizard in this well-loved tale. A legendary performer who became a household name playing Frank Spencer in the British sitcom, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em brings a wealth of experience and plenty of charisma to the stage.
Edward Baker-Duly
Edward Baker-Duly completes this star-studded cast and dazzles on stage as the ever-emotional Tin Man. Star of stage and screen, Baker Duly has appeared in TV shows such as Grange Hill and Emmerdale and performed in the West End production of Gone With The Wind.
Wicked the musical
A West End spectacular, Wicked stars:
Rachel Tucker
Rachel Tucker stars as Elphaba in this smash-hit musical. Tucker played the role of Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz in 2007 and became a semi-finalist on Andrew Lloyd Webber's talent show I'd Do Anything in 2008, narrowly missing out on the part of Nancy in Oliver! London. A natural on stage, Tucker went on to play the role of Meat in We Will Rock You.
Matt Willis
Matt Willis is best known as a founding member of BRIT Award-winning punk-lite band Busted, and after the band's break-up, went on to be crowned King of the Jungle in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. His first West End appearance was as Nick Hurley in Flashdance, and he later played Chuck in the UK tour of Footloose. Willis will now be playing Fiyero, prince of the Arijiki tribe and Elphaba's romantic interest from 12 December.
Legally Blonde the Musical
Based on the hit movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde the Musical stars:
Carley Stenson
Carley Stenson has recently taken over from Susan McFadden as blonde bombshell Elle Woods. A beautiful and talented actress well-known for her portrayal of Steph Cunningham in Hollyoaks, Stenson is an exciting choice to play the leading role.
Peter Davison
Peter Davison, star of Doctor Who from 1981— 1984, plays sleazy Professor Callahan. The fifth Doctor, Davison was the second youngest actor to play the lead role. He is also known for playing Tristan Farnon in the television version of All Creatures Great and Small and for his role as David Braithwaite in the television series At Home with the Braithwaites.
Siobhan Dillan
Siobhan Dillon stars as Vivienne Kensington in Legally Blonde the Musical at the Savoy Theatre. A great performer Dillon rose to fame on How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and went on to make her West End debut as Patty in Grease London at the Piccadilly Theatre.
Natalie Casey
Natalie Casey, best-known for playing Donna in BBC3 comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps is currently playing the role of Paulette. The popular singer and television personality is a natural onstage and is extremely funny as the denim-clad hairdresser..
Lee Mead
West End sensation Lee Mead, is set to take on the role of hunky Harvard student Emmett Forrest from mid June. OMG. A natural onstage, Mead rose to fame on Andrew Lloyd Webber's TV talent show Any Dream Will Do and went on to win the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A talented performer, he has also starred in a touring production of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and recently enjoyed a successful run as Fiyero in Wicked.
Blood Brothers
The emotional tale of twins separated at birth, Blood Brothers stars:
Amy Robbins
Best known for her roles as Dr Jill Weatherill in the British TV series The Royal, and Police Sergeant Rachel James in Casualty, Amy Robbins plays Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre. Having trained at RADA, Amy Robbins has also appeared on film in Strange Relations and Killing Me Softly. She is a second-cousin to ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
Marti Pellow
Lead singer of the Scottish pop legends Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow enjoyed chart success in the eighties and nineties, but has since carved an impressive theatre career, with credits including Chicago, The Witches of Eastwick and Chess. Pellow will play the role of Narrator in Willy Russell's long-running musical Blood Brothers from November.
Jersey Boys
Olivier-winning musical Jersey Boys will star:
Jon Lee
Jon Lee is to play singing sensation Frankie Valli in the ever-popular jukebox musical Jersey Boys, sharing the role with Ryan Molloy, who has starred in the show for four years. A talented actor and singer, Lee achieved world-wide fame as part of S Club 7 and has also enjoyed a successful career in theatre, appearing in productions of Oliver (aged just 13) and Les Miserables.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Based on the hit Australian flick, Priscilla Queen of the Desert stars:
Ray Meagher
Australian soap legend Ray Meagher, best known for playing Home and Away's Alf Stewart, returns as Bob in this outrageous show at the Palace Theatre from 5 October. He first played the part in 2007 in the Sydney production, and reprised the role in the West End in 2010.
Richard Grieve
Richard Grieve is currently playing the role of Tick/Mitzi in this lively, feel-good production. The star, well-known for playing Jonny Foster in Emmerdale recently took over the role from Ben Richards who enjoyed a successful run in the show.
GHOST The Musical
A classic story re-told on the big stage, GHOST The Musical stars:
Richard Fleeshman:
Richard Fleeshman will play Sam Wheat in the upcoming production of GHOST The Musical. A dashing young chap, well-known for playing Craig Harris in Coronation Street, Fleeshman is a real talent. A diverse performer, he made his West End debut in Legally Blonde the Musical as Warner earlier this year and is sure to impress on stage in a role made famous by the late Patrick Swayze, who played the lead male in the 1990 film.
Sharon D Clarke:
Sharon D Clarke will hit the stage as phony psychic Oda Mae Brown in this upcoming production. A fantastic talent, D Clarke played the role of doctor Lola Griffin in Holby City and has appeared in many a West End production. A natural onstage, D Clarke has played roles including Rafiki in The Lion King and Matron Mama Morton is Chicago the Musical . She originated the role of Killer Queen in We Will Rock you and is now preparing to hit the stage once again.
Rock of Ages the musical
Rock of Ages will run at the Shaftesbury Theatre from September 27 2011 — February 11, 2012 and star:
Justin Lee Collins
Television presenter Justin Lee Collins will play the role of hippy bar owner Dennis Dupree in this upcoming rock jukebox musical. Collins' enjoyed a three day run as Chicago's Amos Hart in 2008 and will tread the boards once again alongside West End regulars Oliver Tompsett and Amy Permberton later this year.
Shayne Ward
X Factor winner Shayne Ward will play the role of bad boy rocker Stacee Jaxx in this production. Despite being dropped by Simon Cowell's record label, Ward's career continues to go from strength-to-strength and he is set to make his West End debut.
Dreamboats and Petticoats
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE will be making his West End debut in this toe-tapping rock and roll show. Despite a 45 year career incuding over a thousand stage appearances, this will be his first time in a West End musical, taking on the role of Older Bobby and Bobby's Dad, the part played by Tony Christie in 2010.
Matilda The Musical
A stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's much-loved book, Matilda will run at the Cambridge Theatre from 26 October and stars:
Paul Kaye
Comedian and actor Paul Kaye, best known as the irritating interviewer Dennis Pennis, will be taking the role of Mr Wormwood in the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's much-loved book. Paul is brilliantly cast as the scheming used-car salesman, with a wealth of experience playing unlikeable characters, including rude lawyer Mike Strutter and a seedy night-club owner in Channel 4's Shameless.
Driving Miss Daisy
This incredible production comes to the West End after a successful run on Broadway and stars:
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave CBE plays the eponymous Miss Daisy in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Shakespeare on the West End and Broadway stages, and has starred in over 80 films, including Mission: Impossible and Atonement. Part of a the Redgrave dynasty of heavyweight thespians, she plays an elderly Jewish widow who grudgingly agrees to be driven by a chauffeur.
James Earl Jones
Bass-voiced movie legend James Earl Jones plays feisty driver Hoke Coleburn in this brilliant production. As well as a staggering stage career, Jones has starred in film greats such as Dr Strangelove, Conan the Barbarian, Field of Dreams, Coming to America and Patriot Games, and he is well known for playing the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Jerusalem
Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem transferred to the West End in 2010 after a sell-out run at the Royal Court. It then achieved considerable success on Broadway before returning to London for its current run at the Apollo.
Mackenzie Crook
Mackenzie Crook plays Ginger, the downtrodden sidekick to the rowdy Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in Jez Butterworth's acclaimed play. He first came to fame as creepy Gareth in The Office, for which he earned two BAFTA nominations, and then as a blood-thirsty buccaneer in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. In May 2004, Crook was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Ginger in the Broadway production.
Mark Rylance
Mark Rylance has won a string of stage and screen awards, including Olivier and Tony Awards and a BAFTA. He has been in films including Intimacy, based on a novel by Hanif Kureishi, and was the first artistic director of the Globe from 1995 - 2005. He brings an astonishing amount of experience to the role of the charismatic Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in this incredible drama.
Johnny Flynn
Folk rock maverick Johnny Flynn makes an appearance as Lee in Ian Rickson's comic production. The actor, poet and songwriter is a member of the 'Propeller' theatre troupe and is no stranger to the Royal Court Theatre, having previously acted in Richard Bean's The Heretic.
The Ladykillers
An exciting adaptation of the 1955 movie of the same name, rewritten by the Father Ted and The IT Crowd writer Graham Linehan. The production at the Gieldgud Theatre stars:
Peter Capaldi
BAFTA and Oscar-winning Scottish actor and director Peter Capaldi stars as the sinister gang-leader Professor Marcus in Graham Linehan's version of the Ealing classic, the role played by Alec Guinness in the original film. Perhaps best known as foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the political TV comedy The Thick of It, and spin-off feature film In the Loop, he has also appeared in a number of high profile films including Local Hero and Dangerous Liaisons.
James Fleet
James Fleet plays Major Courtney in the Gielgud Theatre black comedy. Fleet's most famous roles are as the hapless Tom in the 1994 Richard Curtis blockbuster Four Weddings and a Funeral, and as Hugo in the Vicar of Dibley. Fleet is perfectly cast as the gentlemanly con-man, and brings a wealth of experience to the role, with impressive theatre credentials that include several RSC productions.
Ben Miller
English comedian, actor and director Ben Miller plays the vicious continental gangster Louis Harvey in the stage adaptation of the comedy classic. As one half of the comedy sketch coupling Armstrong and Miller, he is no stranger to comedy, with four series of the hilarious show under his belt. He has starred in a number of British films, including Steve Coogan's The Parole Officer.
Clive Rowe
Clive Rowe plays the slow-witted ex-boxer 'One-Round' Lawson. The British actor has played numerous TV roles including as Duke in the BBC children's drama The Story of Tracy Beaker. A theatre stalwart, he won the 1997 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Role in a Musical as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and dolls, and is considered one of the finest pantomime dames in the country, having starred at the Hackney Empire in numerous Christmas productions.
The Tempest
The Theatre Royal Haymarket's production of The Tempest promises to be a genuine treat for fans of the Bard. With Sir Trevor Nunn directing, the production stars:
Ralph Fiennes
Distinguished thespian Ralph Fiennes plays Prospero at the Theatre Royal. The debonair English actor shot to fame in The English Patient in 1996, and has subsequently starred in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including In Bruges and Schindler's List. Well known for playing villains, he has more recently been seen as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise and as Hades in Clash of the Titans.
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Lyndhurst stars alongside Fiennes as Trinculo in Trevor Nunn's production. Best known as Rodney Trotter in the classic British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Lyndhurst has starred in a number of TV comedy shows including Goodnight Sweetheart, The Two of Us and After You've Gone.
