Alex Gaumond Joins West End's DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS as 'Freddy Benson' Tonight

Alex Gaumond (Matilda, Legally Blonde, We Will Rock You) will replace Rufus Hound as the newest conman on the block, Freddy Benson from tonight 11 November 2014 in the critically acclaimed and Best New Musical of 2014, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

He joins the Olivier, Tony and BAFTA award winning Robert Lindsay as the French Riviera's chief conman, Lawrence Jameson, Gary Wilmot as Andre Thibault, Beaumont-Sur-Mer's Chief of Police and Lawrence's sidekick and partner in crime, Bonnie Langford as Muriel Eubanks, a glamorous divorcee looking for love and Katherine Kingsley as Christine Colgate, in this laugh out loud comedy about two conmen competing for the riches and the heart of a young impressionable heiress.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has been running since February 2014. The show has been seen by over 200, 000 audience members who have between them quaffed 9,660 glasses of champagne at the Savoy Theatre and the Savoy Hotel's Doormen have commented on the laughter from the theatre hitting the doors of the hotel on a nightly basis! Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the best new musical of 2014.

Alex Gaumond's most recent stage credits include playing Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda for the RSC at the Cambridge Theatre, Alberto Beddini in Top Hat at the Aldwych Theatre, Galileo in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre & original UK tour (for which he received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Takeover in a Role) and Emmett Forrest opposite Sheridan Smith's Elle in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre (for which he received nominations for both an Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical). He has also played in Desperately Seeking Susan at the Novello Theatre, Guys and Dolls for the UK Tour of the Donmar Warehouse's production, Sunday In The Park With George at the Wyndham's Theatre, Scrooge at the London Palladium, The Full Monty at the Prince Of Wales Theatre and UK tour, Unity 1918 at the Old Vic, Gone at the New Ambassadors Theatre and Miss Saigon on UK tour.

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winning Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots -- currently Broadway's biggest Tony Award winning hit and Legally Blonde) in his debut production for Jerry Mitchell Productions, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award winner David Yazbek (Late Night with David Letterman, The Full Monty) and book by the Golden Globe and Emmy-Award winning Jeffrey Lane (Mad About You).

This musical is based on the legendary 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, directed by Frank Oz. It is the UK premiere of this new production, which has been reconceived and reimagined for the UK stage.

The rest of the cast includes: Lizzy Connolly as Jolene, Gavin Alex, Darren Bennett, Niamh Bracken, Lisa Bridge, Darren Carnall, Andy Conaghan,Phoebe Coupe, Claire Doyle, Alice Fearn, Selina Hamilton, Ian Knauer, Lisa Mathieson, Zak Nemorin, Genevieve Nicole, Javier Santos, Todd Talbot,Dominic Tribuzio, Jon Tsouras and Zara Warren.

Prepare to be transported to the luxurious lap of the French Riviera where the decadent world of sophisticated conman Lawrence Jameson is set to come crashing down with the arrival of larger-than-life Freddy Benson - a conman of an entirely different order. Soon realising the town ain't big enough for the both of them, the two find themselves going head to head in the con of their lives, pulling out all of the stops in a bid for the affections of millionaire soap heiress Christine Colgate. Little do they know what they've let themselves in for.

Jerry Mitchell Productions is a partnership between the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. Jerry Mitchell Productions will work to develop, create and produce new productions, focussing on a wide range of projects from new commissions to fresh, innovative versions of classic pieces for ATG Theatres in London, New York and around the World.

Performances run Tuesday - Saturday at 7.30pm and Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday at 3.00pm at the Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, Strand, London WC2R 0ET .Tickets: £24.50 - £67.50 (Premium Tickets available). Box Office: 0844 871 3046 or online at www.scoundrelswestend.com.