Sheila Ferguson To Join The Cast of FAME THE MUSICAL At Grand Canal Theatre 8/19

It was announced today that soul legend Sheila Ferguson will take on the role of the teacher Miss Sherman, a strict, old-fashioned and academic teacher who loves her students despite the fact that she comes down hard on them, in the forthcoming FAME THE MUSICAL.

Sheila is best known perhaps as the lead member of the most successful female group of the 1970s, The Three Degrees (hits include ‘Take Good Care of Yourself', ‘Year of Decision' and the Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff classic ‘When Will I See You Again'). She will join the cast of 26 including Ben Morris and Jessica Cervi who won the hearts of the nation with their incredible performances in the search for the stars of Fame The Musical. With sets and costumes from the West End this production will be choreographed by Gary Lloyd (X Factor Live, American Idol Live, Thriller Live), with musical direction by David Hayes and directed by Bryan Flynn.

Fame The Musical is the inspirational story of a diverse group of talented students studying at the New York School of Performing Arts. The show explores issues of prejudice, identity, self-worth, literacy and perseverance. The highs and lows are too much for some, but the kids' determination to find greatness shines through.

Sheila Ferguson
With a career that has taken her from the Harlem Apollo to the Royal Command Performance, from the top of the charts to the big screen and onto bookshelves across the world, Sheila Ferguson is truly one of the First Ladies of Entertainment. As lead singer for the iconic girl group The Three Degrees, Sheila has over 17 chart topping hits to her credit including the all time classic ‘'When Will I See You Again' as well as ‘Take Good Care of Yourself', ‘'Dirty Old Man', ‘'A Woman in Love' and ‘'Year of Decision'. Sheila herself penned the much revived and sampled ‘'The Runner' as well as co-producing the track with Dominic Bugatti.

Her recent solo album New Kind of Medicine received four star reviews in national papers such as The Independent and behind the glitz and sequins Sheila is a highly respected advocate for performers and musician's rights and has been at the forefront of major representative bodies such as Equity and PAMRA. With appearances by The Three Degrees in classic movies and TV shows such as The French Connection and Sandford and Son, Sheila has been an instantly recognisable screen presence from an early stage in her career, something which has continued in her solo work, be it Land of Hope and Gloria, the first ever British sitcom to be fronted by a black woman or he unforgettable tussles with crocodiles, mosquitoes and some even scarier human creatures on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Sheila's theatre work has included well received roles in West End shows such as Always, Soul Train and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She was also the focal point of two very successful international tours of Oh! What a Night as well as raising temperatures in Hot Flush! and working with the London Community Gospel Choir in The Songs of Sister Act. Although Pantomime is not an American tradition it has certainly become traditional for Sheila to light up the stage and sell out the box office in every panto she appears in whether it is on the side of good as the fairy in Dick Whittington and Cinderella or evil as an unforgettable Wicked Queen in 2007's Snow White at Chatham Theatre, Kent. An interesting fact about Sheila which many non-American fans may not be aware of, is that in her home country she is known not just as a singing legend but as the highly respected author of Soul Food, a definitive history with recipes of black American cuisine and culture, which has become a standard work in many kitchens across the country. www.sheilaferguson.com

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