Cast Changes Announced for the National Tour of the Smash Hit Musical the Bodyguard
Producers Michael Harrison and David Ian announced today cast changes for the national tour of the award-winning smash-hit musical THE BODYGUARD.
From 12 November 2019, joining Alexandra Burke as Rachel Marron will be, Ben Lewis as Frank Farmer, Emmy Willow as Nicki Marron and Neil Reidman as Bill Devaney. Continuing in the show will be Craig Berry as Tony, Gary Turner as Sy Spector, Phil Atkinson as The Stalker and Simon Cotton as Ray Court. At certain performances the role of Rachel Marron will be played by Jennlee Shallow. Tour schedule below.
The cast is completed by Rosie Cava-Beale, Myles Cork, Jaime Cox, Kerry Crozier, Sia Dauda, Gustav Die, Chris Edgerley, James Lee Harris, Holly Liburd, Natalie Jayne Hall, Jack Loy, Helen Parsons, Daniil Shmidt, Jessica Simmons, Yiota Theo and Michael Wade Peters.
Alexandra Burke returns to the role of Rachel Marron following her triumphant run in the show in both the West End and the subsequent sell out 2015/2016 tour. She first rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor and her debut number one single Hallelujah sold over one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist. She most recently appeared as Svetlana in Chess at the London Coliseum and Roxie in Chicago at the West End’s Phoenix Theatre. In ? she reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Her other theatre credits include Deloris Van Cartier in the national tour of the musical Sister Act. Ben Lewis was most recently seen in the West End as Larry in the award-winning production of Company at the Gielgud Theatre. His other West End credits include the title role in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and Forbidden Broadway at the Vaudeville Theatre. In his native Australia, Ben played the role of The Phantom in Love Never Dies for which he was nominated for a Helpmann Award and won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His other credits include the national tour of Love Me Tender, Frank Butler in the Sheffield Crucible’s production of Annie Get Your Gun and Candide at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Emmy Willow has previously played the role of Nicki Marron in The Bodyguard on the International tour. Neil Reidman’s musical credits include The Color Purple at the Menier Chocolate Factory and The Big Life at the Apollo Theatre in the West End. His other theatre credits include The Dispute for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the national tour of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Craig Berry’s many theatre credits include Mamma Mia!, Cats, Closer to Heaven, Titanic and The Producers. Gary Turner is probably best known for playing Carlos Diaz in ITV1’s Emmerdale and Nathan Blake in Hollyoaks. His many theatre credits include national tours of Dead Guilty, How the Other Half Loves, Jekyll and Hyde and most recently Strictly Murder. Phil Atkinson recently played Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Kilworth House. He has also appeared in Little Shop of Horrors and Spring Awakening. Simon Cotton has appeared in A Clockwork Orange at the Park Theatre and The Dumb Waiter at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre. Jennlee Shallow’s many theatre credits include Nala in The Lion King in both Australia and Germany, Deena in Dreamgirls and Sarah in Ragtime. Jennlee has also performed in the Cirque du Soleil shows Kooza and Viva Elvis.
