Rufus Hound Exits West End's DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS; Alex Gaumond to Join Cast Next Month

The Daily Mail writes that Rufus Hound is leaving the West End's current production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Alex Gaumond will take over the role of 'Freddy Benson' on November 11 at the Savoy Theatre; in the meantime, an understudy will play the part.

Hound (One Man Two Guv'nors, Celebrity Juice, and the winner of the recent Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special) is now reportedly working on a film.

Prior to his departure, the actor was out of the show for a week due to an illness, from which he has since recovered. But the Mail speculates Hound's absences and now permanent exit from the show have more to do with off-stage "chemistry" between him and his co-star Robert Lindsay.

Statements from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' producers and director "wish him all the best" as Hound goes on to "pursue other opportunities".

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS stars Olivier, Tony and BAFTA award winning Robert Lindsay (Me And My Girl, Becket, Oliver!, My Family) as the conman Lawrence Jameson, competing with Freddy Benson for the riches and the heart of the young impressionable heiress, Christine Colgate played by Katherine Kingsley (Singin' in the Rain), who was just nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Michael Grandage's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Samantha Bond (Passion Play, Amy's View, Downton Abbey, James Bond Outnumbered) plays Muriel Eubanks, a glamorous divorcee looking for love in Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera and John Marquez (Privates On Parade, The Taming of the Shrew, Doc Martin) plays Andre Thibault, Beaumont-sur-Mer's Chief of Police.

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 winnerDavid Yazbek (Late Night with David Letterman, The Full Monty) and book by the Golden Globe and Emmy-Award winning Jeffrey Lane (Mad About You) and will run at the Savoy Theatre from 10 March with press night on 1 April 2014.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has set and costume design by Olivier Award winning Peter McKintosh. It is a co-production between the Ambassador Theatre Group, Jerry Mitchell Productions andTulchin/Bartner Productions. The production is supported by American Airlines.

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

Photo Credit: Johan Persson