Denise Van Outen Goes Legally Blonde, New Cast

As previously tipped, Denise Van Outen will take over from Jill Halfpenny as hairdresser Paulette in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre. She commences – along with fellow new cast members Siobhan Dillon and Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson, making her West End debut – on 25 October 2010.

It’s the first stage outing for Van Outen since having her first child, a daughter, with Lee Mead, who is himself currently treading the boards in Wicked. The couple met on TV’s Any Dream Will Do, which Mead won and Van Outen judged. Van Outen’s other musical credits include Tell Me on a Sunday, Rent: Remixed, Chicago and Les Miserables.

Since finding fame on another Andrew Lloyd Webber TV competition, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, Siobhan Dillon, who will play Vivienne, has appeared in Grease in the West End and in tours of Can’t Smile Without You and Cabaret. Carley Stenson, who will play Margot, is best known as Steph Cunningham from Hollyoaks, a part she played for ten years, and has appeared in regional productions of Grease, The Boyfriend and Oliver!.

The musical comedy, which premiered on Broadway in April 2007, is based on the 2001 Hollywood film in which Reese Witherspoon played California sorority girl Elle Woods who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back.

Sheridan Smith earlier this week extended her contract as Elle Woods. Also continuing in the principal cast are Richard Fleeshman as Warner, Alex Gaumond as her new love interest Emmett and Peter Davison as Callahan.

Others in the cast from 25 October include: Stephane Anelli (Padamadan, Nikos), Emma Bateman (Stenographer), Thomas Camilleri (Carlos), Chris Ellis-Stanton (Grandmaster Chad, Dewey, Kyle), Kimmy Edwards (Judge, Saleswoman), Ibinabo Jack (Pilar), Suzie McAdam (Enid), Andy Mace (Dad, Winthrop, Reporter), Susan McFadden (Serena), Sorelle Marsh (Courtney, Mom, Whitney), Aoife Mulholland (Brooke), Sean Mulligan (Pforzheimer), Dawn Sievewright (Kate, Chutney), Robbie Towns (Aaron), Dominic Tribuzio (Kiki), Tamara Wall (District Attorney) and Stephen Webb (Lowell), as well as Jonathan Mawson, Jane McMurtrie, Lucy Miller, Ruthie Stephenson and Gregor Stewart as swings.

Legally Blonde is directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller, sound design by ACME Sound Partners and orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke.

It’s produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G Bartner, Ambassador Theatre Group, Bud Martin, Adam Zotovich, Jamie Hendry Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw and Act Productions.