The current year-long celebrations of legendary rock band Queen's 40th anniversary have seen a massively elevated profile for the co-creators of hit show We Will Rock You, and the celebrations continue with the launch next week of the lavish memorabilia book , "40 Years of Queen" (Carlton Books).
To coincide with this event, the band have just announced details of the latest cast change in their record-breaking musical which
Will Power the show into 2012 and its 10th birthday. The new cast have their first night Monday October 10th.
Following the recasting in August of lead role Galileo which saw popular Legally Blonde cast member
Alex Gaumond join the show, We Will Rock You has announced incoming cast to take over the roles of female lead Scaramouche, the show's popular villain Khashoggi, and the bad-ass, loved-up rebel leader Britney.
At the same time, in what is sure to be news much welcomed by the show's legion of regular fans, the producers have announced that popular cast members
Kevin Kennedy (Pop), Brenda Edwards (Killer Queen) and Rachel John (Meat) will continue with the show through its next year.
New to the leading role of Scaramouche from October 10 will be
Lauren Samuels, an alumni of
Andrew Lloyd Webber's BBC TV Over the Rainbow where she received high praise. A trainee of The Guilford School of Acting, Lauren's previous West End experience includes Sandy in Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre, a similarly feisty role to the one she will now play in taking over the part of rock- chick-with-an-attitude, Scaramouche.
The man to take over the designer suits and sun shades of Killer Queen's sequacious side kick Khashoggi is
Alasdair Harvey, one of musical theatre's most accomplished leading men. Alasdair's long list of leading roles include such major shows as Phantom of the Opera, Side By Side By Sondheim, Sunday in the Park With George, and Les Miserables. Alasdair is also a familiar face on television from his many appearances in popular series including most recently Eastenders as Jane Beale's love interest Martin. Joining We Will Rock You marks a return to The Dominion for Alasdair where he first appeared in 1997 as the original ‘Beast' in the award winning production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Taking on the role of the fast-fisted and brave-hearted rebel Britney is
Wayne Robinson, who joins the West End cast having performed the same role in the UK national touring production of the show. With other musicals such as Hairspray and The Lion King under his belt, Wayne is also a successful solo recording artist who has written and performed alongside such artists as Lulu and
Lionel Richie. His distinctive soulful voice won him the leading role in the national touring production of The Magic of Motown.
With over 3,600 performances behind it, and holding the record for the longest running show ever at the Dominion, We Will Rock You continues to show no signs of slowing down as it approaches its 10th anniversary in London. With the London run recently further extended, the show is now booking through to October 2012.
Playing to over 12,000 people weekly, and a standing ovation at ever show, We Will Rock You has now been seen by over 5.5 million people at the Dominion alone and over 13 million worldwide. It is now the 7th longest running musical currently playing in the West End in a list that includes Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, Mamma Mia!, Chicago and Disney's The Lion King.
Earlier this year, March 13, 2011, We Will Rock You was officially crowned the UK's favourite show. In the 2011 Olivier awards, British theatre's answer to the Oscars, the long-running musical received the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Audience Award, the only category decided entirely by members of the public who had voted via the awards website. The musical came out top in the category which saw more than 43,000 votes cast, beating a shortlist including Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys and Les Miserables.
WE WILL ROCK YOU is a Queen Theatrical Productions/
Phil Mcintyre Entertainment/Tribeca production. Book and direction
Ben Elton. Music and Lyrics Queen. Music Supervisors
Brian May and
Roger Taylor. Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London, W1. (Tottenham Court Road tube station). Booking to October 2012.
Box Office: 0870 169 0116 (24hrs)
Performances Monday - Friday 7.30pm. Saturdays 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Additional matinee last Wednesday each month and school holidays 2:30pm.
Ticket line: 0844 847 1775.
Full details at:
www.wewillrockyou.co.uk.
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