Frances Ruffelle brings Beneath the Dress to Menier, 12 Feb

Ruffelle, who fronted a month-long run of Beneath the Dress at the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2010 and subsequently played one night at the West End’s Garrick Theatre that September, will perform at the Menier on Sunday 12 February 2012.

Frances Ruffelle was cast in a role that would define her career at the age of 19, playing Eponime in the original cast of Les Miserables. It was recently announced that she would re-visit the musical with a cameo performance in the upcoming big-screen adaptation alongside original Jean Valjean Colm Wilkinson.

The daughter of stage school founder and principal Sylvia Young and mother of pop star Eliza Doolittle, Ruffelle’s other stage credits include playing Dinah for Trevor Nunn in the original production of Starlight Express and creating the role of Yonah in the West End production of Children of Eden. She has also played Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago and represented the UK at the 1994 Eurovision Song contest.

Beneath the Dress features Ruffelle performing songs by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Kurl Weill alongside pieces by lesser known songwriters, supported by a “funky” six-piece band.

Tickets for Beneath the Dress are available from the Menier Chocolate Factory’s website.

Mitch Sebastian‘s Menier Chocolate Factory revival of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O Hirson‘s Pippin continues until 25 February 2012 and stars Harry Hepple in the title role alongside Ian Kelsey, Matt Rawle and Carly Bawden.