Matt Cardle, Lee Mead, Ben Forster & Kerry Ellis to star in Broadway in Concert at the London Palladium

It has been announced that West End Frame Award winners Matt Cardle (Memphis) and Lee Mead (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) will star alongside Ben Forster (Phantom of the Opera), Kerry Ellis (Murder Ballad) and Sophie Evans (Wizard of Oz) in Broadway in Concert.

The show will feature music from shows including Wicked, Les Miserables, Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera.

Julie Atherton, Carley Stenson & Matt Cardle feature in Live At Zédel first season; Scott Alan named Artistic Director In Residence

Live At Zédel has confirmed first fetails for its Autumn season. 

As previously announced, as of September Crazy Coqs will be relaunched with all programming being taken over by United Agents. The new programme will kick off with an official partnership with The Philharmonia Orchestra and the appointment of U.S. composer Scott Alan as Artistic Director In Residence. 

Alan's varied programme includes intimate pre-show ‘coq-tails and Conversations’ from likes of Mark Shenton alongside nights from West End Stars Julie Atherton and Simon Lipkin as well as performances from performers including Carly Stenson, Oliver Tompsett and Lucie Jones.

Matt Cardle announces new solo tour

West End Frame Award winner Matt Cardle has announced dates and venues for his 2016 solo tour, Intimate & Live.

In this new show Cardle will give audiences an intimate and exclusive insight into the various aspects and inspirations of his musical life. 

The tour begins on 7th June at Shoreditch Town Hall in London and concludes at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield on 27th July.

Alongside songs from his previous albums and some personally selected covers, Cardle will also be previewing some new material from his forthcoming studio album Higher Power for the first time. 

West End Frame Awards 2015: Full Winners List

Readers of West End Frame were invited to vote for four awards throughout 2015. The West End Frame Awards recognise brand new and long-running plays and musicals, combining male and female actors into the same categories. Voting opens for one award at a time. Take a look at the full list of winners below:

Publicly Voted Awards

	Best West End Debut Matt Cardle for playing Huey Calhoun in Memphis Runners Up Danny Horn for Sunny Afternoon Marcquelle Ward for Cats Click here for full result / Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks
	Best Performance of a Song in a Musical John Dagleish for his rendition of 'Waterloo Sunset' in Sunny Afternoon Runners Up Jon Jon Briones for ‘American Dream’ in Miss Saigon Kerry Ellis for ‘Memory’ in Cats Click here for full result / Photo Credit: Kevin Cummins
	Understudy of the Year Jacqueline Hughes for standing by as Elphaba in Wicked (UK Tour) Runners Up Zoë Birkett for The Bodyguard Ryan O'Donnell for Sunny Afternoon Click here for full result
	Most Inspiring West End Show Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter Theatre Runners Up Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre Click here for full result / Photo Credit: Kevin Cummins

Best West End Debut 2015: Full Result

Matt Cardle has won West End Frame's Best West End Debut Award for his performance as Huey Calhoun in Memphis The Musical. Danny Horn (Ray Davies/Sunny Afternoon) finishes second whilst Marcquelle Ward (Rum Tum Tugger/Cats) comes third. Check out the full result below!

Last year’s Best West End Debut Award was won by Dutch actress Willemijn Verkaik for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked. Previous winners also include international star Zrinka Cvitešić (Girl/Once) and X Factor UK champion Shayne Ward (Stacee Jaxx/Rock Of Ages).

WINNER

Matt Cardle

41% of the final vote

Speaking to West End Frame, Cardle said: "Thank you so much to every single person who not only took time to come and see Memphis but to vote for me too. I had so much fun playing Huey Calhoun at the Shaftesbury Theatre this summer. 

Matt Cardle wins Best West End Debut Award!

We are delighted to announce that Matt Cardle has won West End Frame's Best West End Debut Award for his performance as Huey Calhoun in Memphis The Musical.

Speaking to West End Frame, Cardle said: "Thank you so much to every single person who not only took time to come and see Memphis but to vote for me too. I had so much fun playing Huey Calhoun at the Shaftesbury Theatre this summer. 

"I’d like to say a huge big thank you to the whole Memphis company who welcomed me with open arms from day one of rehearsals. I admit I was a petrified little boy! You became family to me and I couldn’t have got through my sweat-drenched opening night without every single one of you! 

"Beverly Knight and Rachel John; it was a complete honour to have shared my West End stage debut with your incredible vocal and acting talents. May the incredible story of Memphis continue to inspire for a lifetime to come."

Cardle took over from Killian Donnelly as Huey for the final months of Memphis' West End run, starring opposite both Beverley Knight and Rachel John. Since winning the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010, Cardle has become a multi-platinum recording artist who has sold over 2.2 million records in the UK and completed five sell-out tours. 

Editor's Blog: Glenn Close discusses Sunset Boulevard, Soft Lad released on DVD & Memphis bids farewell

Glenn Close has revealed that she is "getting on the treadmill" ahead of her West End debut next year. 

"It's not something I really love to do, but really I know how much energy it takes. You have to be in good shape and take care of your voice" said Close, who will reprise her performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard for a limited run at the London Coliseum between 1st April and 7th May 2016. 

Having first played Norma in LA, Close went on to win Tony, Drama Desk and Dramalogue awards for originating the role on Broadway under the direction of Trevor Nunn. This new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton's musical marks the second show produced by the English National Opera and the GradeLinnit Company. Lonny Price directs.

Rachel John to take over as Felicia Farrell in Memphis The Musical

It has been confirmed that Rachel John will take over as Felicia Farrell in Memphis The Musical from 19th October for the final two weeks of the musical's West End run.

As previously announced, Beverley Knight plays her final performance as Felicia on 17th October. Memphis runs at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 31st October 2015. 

The cast also includes Matt Cardle as Huey, Rolan Bell as Delray, Claire Machin as Gladys, Jason Pennycooke as Bobby, Mark Roper as Mr. Simmons and Tyrone Huntley as Gator.

Feature: July round-up

Star of the Month

Matt Cardle

Matt Cardle in Memphis / Photo Credit: Matt Crockett

Whoever succeeded Killian Donnelly as Huey Calhoun in Memphis The Musical was going to have a tough act to follow, but former X Factor winner Matt Cardle has made a triumphant West End debut as Huey and made the role his own. Matt showcases strong vocals and has fun with the role, growling and riffing his way through the score whilst highlighting the quirky and goofy side to Huey in his first acting role. Matt's 'Memphis Lives In Me' is impeccable and he has incredible chemistry opposite the insanely talented Beverley Knight throughout.  Read our 5* review of Matt in Memphis and read our big interview with Matt about joining Memphis.

Show of the Month

What's It All About? Bacharach Reimagined

The cast of What's It All About? / Photo Credit: Nobby Clark

Big Interview: Matt Cardle, starring as Huey Calhoun in Memphis The Musical

Matt Cardle recently took over from Killian Donnelly as Huey Calhoun in the West End production of Memphis The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, joining Beverley Knight as Felicia Farrell.

Inspired by true events from the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, David Bryan and Joe DiPietro’s musical follows the fame and forbidden love of a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer who is ready for her big break.

Memphis marks Matt’s West End and acting debuts. Since winning the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010, Matt has gone on to become a multi-platinum recording artist who has sold over 2.2 million records in the UK and completed five sell-out tours. 

A talented vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and drummer, Matt’s debut single ‘When We Collide’ sold over one million copies and has just been named as one of the Top 40 biggest selling singles of the past decade. The song spent three weeks at #1 and was nominated for Best British Single at the 2011 Brit Awards. Gary Barlow wrote Matt’s next Top 10 hit ‘Run For Your Life’ which was followed by the release of his platinum selling debut album Letters. 

Matt’s other albums, which have charted in the Top 10, include The Fire and Porcelain. He most recently entered the Top 10 singles chart with ‘Loving You’, a duet with Spice Girl Melanie C. Matt completed his fifth sold-out UK tour in April 2014 and is currently writing and recording his fourth studio album which is due for release later this year. 

Yesterday I popped into the Shaftesbury Theatre and spoke to Matt about why Huey is a gift of a role, the supreme talents of Beverley Knight and why he found taking over from Killian Donnelly a little daunting…

A few months ago you got a call about Memphis, what happened next?

Well I came down and saw the show because initially it was just an invite to come down, see the show and see if I liked it. I took the evening out the studio, came down and saw it with my manager and was totally blown away by Beverley and Killian – they’re both just so ridiculously talented. The whole show and whole cast and everything and the music – I was like, how have I not seen this already and why have I not heard more about it?!’ Then it was a case of ‘Do you like it?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah I absolutely love it, who wouldn’t?’ So then it was a case of, ‘Well ok, if we send you through some scenes and a couple of songs would you learn a bit?’ So I did that and went and sang a couple of songs for Nick Finlow (UK Musical Supervisor) and did some script read-throughs with Tara Wilkinson (UK Associate Director). 

Review: Matt Cardle joins Beverley Knight in Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre

Memphis The Musical

Shaftesbury Theatre

Reviewed on Thursday 16th July 2015

★★★★★

Last October I was blown away when Memphis The Musical first opened its doors at the Shaftesbury Theatre. 

David Bryan and Joe DiPietro's musical - which is inspired by true events from the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee - came to London following a three year run on Broadway, during which it won the Tony Award for Best Musical. 

Telling a story of forbidden love, the casting of the two leads is vital to the show's success. Producers struck gold by casting soul queen Beverley Knight, fresh from her West End debut in The Bodyguard, as aspiring singer Felicia Farrell alongside renowned West End actor Killian Donnelly as radio DJ Huey Calhoun. The duo set the stage on fire and received Olivier Award nominations for their performances. 

As Memphis enters its final months, Donnelly has departed the production to prepare for his new role in Kinky Boots. Therefore Knight has handpicked Matt Cardle, the latest X Factor winner to make his West End debut, as her new Huey. 

It's official... X Factor winner Matt Cardle to take over from Killian Donnelly in Memphis The Musical

It has been confirmed that former X Factor winner Matt Cardle will take over from Killian Donnelly as Huey in the West End production of Memphis The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre this summer.

Cardle will play his first performance on Monday 6th July. Donnelly plays his final performance on Saturday 4th July to begin rehearsals for the West End premiere of Kinky Boots.

Cardle will join Beverley Knight who stars as Felicia Farrell in the musical. Knight has extended her run in the production to October. Memphis continues to the end of its scheduled run in the West End on 31st October 2015. Producers claim there are "early plans in progress" for a major tour of the UK and Ireland from late 2016.