Long running musical Les Misérables has announced a cast change with two actresses from recent BBC talent search shows taking on lead roles. Eponine will be played by Nancy Sullivan, who recently tried her luck for the role of Nancy in I’d Do Anything and Leanne Dobinson, who made it into the final 10 hopefuls in How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, will take on the role of Cosette.
Before appearing in I’d Do Anything, Sullivan was part of the original touring cast of Never Forget, which opens at the Savoy theatre next week. Dobinson made her West End debut as the young Eponine in Les Misérables, before entering the BBC theatrical reality show. Although she didn’t manage to beat Connie Fisher to the part of Maria, her appearance in the television show led to the star role in the Theatre Royal Windsor’s pantomime, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, later that year. Dobinson then went on to appear in the Theatre Royal Nottingham’s production of Make Do And Mend. This will be her first singing role on the London stage.
Cameron Mackintosh was full of praise for the talent his colleague Andrew Lloyd Webber’s programmes have discovered, saying “Although both Nancy and Leanne may have missed out on the respective roles they were vying for in these shows, their talents did not go unnoticed. I was delighted to give them the chance to win parts in Les Misérables, which I’m sure they will be terrific in. I also recently cast Daniel Boys, one of the Joseph finalists in BBC’s Any Dream Will Do, in Avenue Q where he has enjoyed great success. Katie Hall, who featured in early episodes of I’d Do Anything, has also recently been cast in the ensemble of The Phantom Of The Opera – where she will have the opportunity to cover the role of Christine.”
Les Misérables is now in its 23rd year making it the world’s longest musical, it has been seen by over 55 million people worldwide in 40 counties. Sullivan and Dobinson will take on the roles of Eponine and Cosette from 23 June at the Queen’s theatre.
CM