Former Eurovision contestant Lucie Jones has said she feels “truly honoured” to be taking over the part of Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked.
The singer, who represented the UK at the contest in 2017, will lead a new cast at the Apollo Victoria Theatre from Tuesday February 1 2022.
Sharing a selfie taken outside the London theatre, she wrote: “I don’t have adequate words. From February 1st 2022 I will be going green playing the iconic role of Elphaba in @WickedUK West End.
I don’t have adequate words. From February 1st 2022 I will be going green playing the iconic role of Elphaba in @WickedUK West End 😭😭😭
Some truly incredible women have played this part and I’m truly honoured to be given the chance to take this beautiful, iconic role💚
🐸🪴🥬 pic.twitter.com/fqwADdB44k
— Lucie Jones (@luciejones1) November 17, 2021
“Some truly incredible women have played this part and I’m truly honoured to be given the chance to take this beautiful, iconic role.”
Jones, 30, found fame on The X Factor in 2009 but was eliminated in week five.
The hit musical, which tells the back story of The Wizard Of Oz and what happened before Dorothy arrived in the enchanted world, launched in the West End in 2006.
Ryan Reid joins the cast as Fiyero, Sophie-Louise Dann will play Madame Morrible and Gary Wilmot will take on the role of The Wizard.
They will join Helen Woolf, who returns from maternity leave to continue her performance as Glinda.
Wicked executive producer for the UK Michael McCabe said: “We’re thrilled to announce that the new cast of Wicked from 1 February 2022 will be led by the sensational Lucie Jones as Elphaba, West End ‘Dreamgirls’ star Ryan Reid as Fiyero, two-time Olivier Award nominee Sophie-Louise Dann as Madame Morrible and Gary Wilmot – whose prolific 40+ year career has made him one of the UK’s most popular actors and entertainers – as The Wizard.”