Barbara Dickson
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Dickson Joins Christmas Cast for Edinburgh's Fame

Olivier award-winner Barbara Dickson has been confirmed for the cast of live forever musical Fame, during its special four-week Christmas engagement at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 18 December 2003 to 10 January 2004. She will play teacher Miss Sherman to a cast of students that includes Hear'say pop singer Noel Sullivan as aspiring actor Nick Piazza (See News, 25 Jun 2003).

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, Dickson (pictured) first rose to stage fame after appearing in Willy Russell's 1974 musical John, Paul, George, Ringo... and Bert which played at Liverpool's Everyman and also in the West End. She later established herself as a major solo performer, recording ten Top 40 albums, with hit singles such as "January February" and, with Elaine Paige "I Know Him So Well".

Dickson has won two Best Actress in a Musical Oliviers, for Russell's Blood Brothers and for her last major stage role playing pools winner Viv Nicholson in Spend Spend Spend, which premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse ahead of a West End transfer in 1999 and a major UK tour in 2001.

Based on Alan Parker's 1980 Oscar-winning film and the American TV series of the same name, Fame follows a group of students at New York's legendary High School for the Performing Arts, from first audition to graduation, in their quest for success. Sullivan plays aspiring actor Nick Piazza in the 30-strong cast.

Runar Borge's production of Fame launched in the UK in 1995. The musical has just completed one of its most successful regional tours, visiting more than 60 venues in 15 months. A separate production continues to run in the West End at the Aldwych Theatre, where it's now taking bookings up to 31 January 2004.

- by Terri Paddock

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