Reality show stars Susan McFadden and Aoife Mulholland are to join the cast of Legally Blonde The Musical, which opens at the Savoy theatre in December.
The two Irish actresses join leads Sheridan Smith, Duncan James and Alex Gaumond in the new stage production of the hit 2001 film Legally Blonde, which centres on the unlikely transformation of Elle Woods (Smith) from homecoming queen to Harvard Law student.
McFadden, who plays Elle’s best friend Serena, enjoyed a spell as Sandy in Grease at the Piccadilly theatre in 2007 after winning the role on ITV reality casting show Grease Is The Word. Her other stage credits include the current UK tour of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and several productions in her native Dublin.
Mulholland (Brooke) may have lost out to Connie Fisher in the BBC’s inaugural televised casting show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? but she nevertheless went on to play the trainee nun in The Sound Of Music at the London Palladium for two nights a week after Fisher fell ill. Directly after leaving the television show Mulholland enjoyed a short run as Roxie Hart in Chicago, a role she has since returned to. She was also seen last year in Chess In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
Also joining the cast are Emma Bateman, Dan Burton, Darren Carnall, Chris Ellis-Stanton, Nadine Higgin, Ibinabo Jack, Caroline Keiff, Amy Lennox, Andy Mace, Sorelle Marsh, Suzie McAdam, Matthew McKenna, Sean Mulligan, Roxanne Palmer, Sergio Priftis, Tamara Wall, Ed White, Jane McMurtrie, Sherrie Pennington, Lucy Miller, Fabian Aloise and Francis Haugen.
Legally Blonde The Musical premiered on Broadway in 2007 and went on to collect seven Tony Award nominations. The British production – which joins the growing ranks of productions in the West End to have Sunday matinees – opens at the Savoy theatre on 13 January 2010 after previews from 5 December 2009.
It follows a summer season for rock ‘n’ roll musical Dreamboats And Petticoats, which begins previews at the Savoy tomorrow (press night 27 July) and runs until 12 September.
CB