EastEnders’ Rita Simon, Lucie Jones, who represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Never Give Up On You’, and Bill Ward, star of Coronation Street and Emmerdale star in a major new tour of the smash-hit Broadway and West End musical Legally Blonde The Musical.
Legally Blonde The Musical is an all singing, all dancing romantic comedy, a fun-filled, feel-good pink fest. College sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods, doesn’t take no for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law School. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Based on the Reese Witherspoon film, Legally Blonde The Musical earned seven Tony nominations and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations during its Broadway run. In the UK it was nominated for 5 Laurence Olivier Awards winning 3 including Best New Musical, and was nominated for 8 Whatsonstage Awards winning 4 including Best Musical.
Legally Blonde The Musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM motiion picture.
Directed and choreographed by Anthony Williams, co-choreographer Dean Street and Musical Supervisor and Musical Director James McCullough.
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Rita Simons (Paulette Bonafonte) is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in BBC’s EastEnders for which she has won numerous awards and is one of Britain’s best loved actresses. She won Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards and other awards and nominations include Best Newcomer at the Digital Spy Soap Awards, Best Onscreen Partnership for her character partnership with Ronnie Mitchell played by Samantha Womack, Best Newcomer at the TV Now Awards, a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 2008 British Soap Awards and Best Newcomer at the 2008 Inside Soap Awards. Rita has also appeared on TV in Mile High as Hannah, Dream Team as Julie and London’s Burning. In Spring 2012, Rita was the subject of a major documentary film Rita Simons: My Daughter, Deafness and Me made by Leopard Films for BBC1. Rita actively supports the charity RNID.
Lucie Jones (Elle Woods) is currently playing Maureen in the 20th anniversary UK tour of Rent. Her previous theatre credits include: Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (Leicester Curve); Molly in Ghost (Asian Tour); Victoria in American Psycho (The Almeida); Meatloaf in We Will Rock You (International Tour); Kelly Byrne in The Prodigals (Edinburgh Festival); Cosette in Les Miserables (Queens Theatre, West End and O2 Arena). Her TV acting credits includes: Melody Carver in Midsomer Murders (ITV); Louise in The Sarah Jane Adventures (BBC). Lucie was a finalist in the 2009 series of The X Factor.
Bill Ward (Professor Callahan) is best known for his work on two of the country’s leading soaps. He has just finished 3 years in Emmerdale, playing farmer James Barton (Ross, Pete and Finn’s Dad) for over 300 episodes, who met a gruesome, death at the hands of his emotionally volatile partner, Emma, in one of the biggest storylines of the year. Previously, he played the builder Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street, also for 300 episodes, who was murdered by his emotionally volatile partner, Tracy Barlow, in one of the soap’s biggest storylines of the year. In addition to his many and varied TV and film credits Bill is no stranger to the stage and has worked on everything from Sophocles to The Spice Girls at Bristol Old Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange, Northern Stage, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, and The National Theatre Studio amongst others. He’s played Prospero in The Tempest in Guildford, Lancelot in Spamalot in the West End, and Kevin the Gnome in a muddy field in Glastonbury.
Also in the cast are: David Barrett (Emmett), Liam Doyle (Warner), Laura Harrison (Vivienne), Helen Petrovna (Brooke), Ben Harlow (Kyle), Nancy Hill (Enid), Rebecca Stenhouse (Margot), Delycia Belgrave (Pilar), Rachel Grundy (Serena), Lucyelle Cliffe (Elle’s Mom), Rosie Needham (Kate Chutney), Alexandra Wright (Leilana), Sally Frith (Gaelen), Mark Peachey (Elle’s Dad/Winthrop/Dewey), Michael Hamway (Aaron), Felipe Bejarano (Sundeep/Nikos), Brett Shiels (Grand Master Chad), Connor Collins (Carlos), Emma Prosser (Swing), Craig Tyler (Swing) and Bruisey (Bruiser).
Legally Blonde The Musical 2017/18 Tour Dates
18/09/2017
Bromley Churchill
25/09/2017
High Wycombe Swan
02/10/2017
Bristol Hippodrome
09/10/2017
Woking New Victoria
16/10/2017
Northampton Derngate
23/10/2017
Rhyl Pavilion
30/10/2017
Sheffield Lyceum
06/11/2017
Wolverhampton Grand
13/11/2017
Southampton Mayflower
20/11/2017
Cardiff New Theatre
27/11/2017
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
26/02/2018
Belfast Grand Opera House
05/03/2018
Dublin Bord Gais
12/03/2018
Stoke Regent Theatre
19/03/2018
Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
26/03/2018
Norwich Theatre Royal
02/04/2018
Leeds Grand Theatre
09/04/2018
Blackpool Grand Theatre
16/04/2018
Sunderland Empire
23/04/2018
Glasgow Kings Theatre
30/04/2018
Aberdeen His Majesty’s
07/05/2018
Inverness Eden Court
14/05/2018
Nottingham Theatre Royal
21/05/2018
Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
28/05/2018
Salford Lowry
04/06/2018
Liverpool Empire
11/06/2018
Brighton Theatre Royal
18/06/2018
Wimbledon New Theatre
Photos by Robert Workman