Sheridan Smith Extends in West End LEGALLY BLONDE to Jan '11

Sheridan Smith is to extend her run in the West End hit Legally Blonde The Musical to 9 January 2011, in her critically acclaimed role of college sweetheart Elle Woods. Smith has been playing to packed houses at the Savoy Theatre where the show opened in December. Legally Blonde The Musical, which has recently released the original London live cast recording, is currently booking until 22 October 2011.

Sonia Friedman, producer, said: "I am delighted that Sheridan has extended her contract with us. It has been a real privilege to have had her as our leading lady and I am thrilled that she has agreed to stay with us a little longer."

Sheridan Smith said: "I absolutely love playing Elle Woods, it's been one of the highlights of my career so far, and I'm thrilled that the audiences love the show as much as I do. When Sonia asked me to stay for a little bit longer, I couldn't resist the thought of a pink, chihuahua-filled Christmas!"

College sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods doesn't take no for an answer. So when her boyfriend Warner dumps her for someone serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and heads for Harvard Law! Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

Sheridan Smith is best known for her many award-winning television roles which include the BBC comedies Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, Grown Ups (which was written specifically for her), Love Soup and the ITV1 comedy Benidorm. She had a guest lead in Gavin and Stacey, playing Smithy's sister Rudi and she also played Emma in the multi award-winning The Royle Family. Her other television credits include Blood Strangers, Doctors, Fat Friends and The Comic Strip Presents Sex Actually as well as Lark Rise to Candleford and Jonathan Creek. Sheridan made her West End debut as Tallulah in the National Youth Music Theatre production of Bugsy Malone. Since then she has appeared in Into the Woods at the Donmar Warehouse, Ancient Lights for Hampstead Theatre, The People are Friendly for the Royal Court and Tinderbox at The Bush Theatre as well as the lead role of Audrey in the Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Little Shop of Horrors which later transferred to the West End. She made her Shakespearian debut at Open Air Theatre, Regents Park in 2006 playing Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew.

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller, sound design by ACME Sound Partners and orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke.

Legally Blonde The Musical is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G. Bartner, Ambassador Theatre Group, Bud Martin, Adam Zotovich, Jamie Hendry Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw and ACT Productions.

For more information, visit www.legallyblondethemusical.co.uk