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Dianne Pilkington

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Dianne Pilkington
Dianne Pilkington, June 2007
Born
Dianne Lesley Pilkington

(1975-06-07) 7 June 1975 (age 49)
Wigan, UK
Websitediannepilkington.co.uk

Dianne Lesley Pilkington (born 7 June 1975) is an English theatre actress and singer.

Personal life

Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award.

Pilkington married Claude Pelletier, on 10 October 2010. Pilkington gave birth to their son, Hugo, on 26 December 2012.[1]

Theatre

Pilkington has had an impressive career beginning in 1997 when she joined the West End production of Les Misérables, Pilkington understudied the role of Fantine whilst in the production.

Following Les Misérables, Pilkington starred in the production of Tess, going on tour with the show prior to it appearing at the Savoy, she played the role of Marion. The production only ran for 10 weeks in the West End before closing on 8 January 2000.

Pilkington joined the cast of Sweeney Todd at the Bridewell Theatre later in 2000, a production she had played the role of Mrs Lovett in whilst training at GSA.

In late 2000 Pilkington was part of the original London cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's, The Beautiful Game. She played the role of the Protestant girl as well as understudying the role of Bernadette.

In 2002 Pilkington originated the role of Kim in Boy George's musical Taboo. She appeared alongside Boy George at the Royal Albert Hall alongside other members of the original London cast.

It was in late 2002 that Pilkington joined the UK touring production of Beauty and the Beast playing Belle. She remained with the production into 2003.

Again in 2003 Pilkington originated another role in the West End, this time in Rod Stewart musical Tonight's the Night, as Mary at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

For the Christmas panto season of 2004–2005 Pilkington starred in the leading role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs opposite Lily Savage.

In 2005 Pilkington starred in The Far Pavilions in the role of Belinda. Following this Pilkington again went on tour in the role of Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's, Cats. It was whilst on tour with the production that Pilkington met her husband.

After leaving the Cats tour in early 2007, Pilkington joined the West End production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. She replaced Helen Dallimore as Glinda on 16 July 2007, after serving as the standby from April of that year.[2] After three years in the company, she played her final performance on 27 March 2010 and was succeeded by Louise Dearman.

Immediately after leaving Wicked, Pilkington joined played the parts of Annabella Schmidt, Pamela, and Margaret in the West End production of The 39 Steps. She replaced Natalie Walter on 26 April 2010.[3] She ended her nine-month run on 29 January 2011 and was succeeded by Laura Rogers.[4]

After leaving The 39 Steps Pilkington took part in the 2011 season of Cabaret in the House at Lauderdale House on 20 February 2011, performing many tracks from her album in a one-woman cabaret, her guests at the cabaret included Jean-Claude Pelletier, Shimi Goodman & television actress Nicole Faraday. She was accompanied on piano by Christopher Hamilton.[5]

In the Chichester Festival 2011 Pilkington played the role of Amalia in She Loves Me, from 9 May 2011 until 18 June 2011.[6]

She starred as Sophie De Palma in the West End production of Master Class, which ran at the Vaudeville Theatre from January – April 2012.[7]

It was announced in April 2013 that Pilkington would take over the role Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre beginning 10 June 2013.[8] After playing Donna for three years, Pilkington departed the show on 11 June 2016 and was replaced by Linzi Hateley.[9] The following year, she played Aunt Lily in the musical Whisper House at The Other Palace.[10] Pilkington portrayed Elizabeth Benning in the London production of Young Frankenstein, which premiered at Theatre Royal, Newcastle in August 2017 and then transferred the following month to the Garrick Theatre.[11]

Pilkington has undertaken many musical workshops including: ‘Hope’ in the London workshop production of Urinetown, directed by John Rando; ‘Tonya’ in the workshop of Dr Zhivago directed by Des McAnuff; the title role in Helen of Troy – a new musical, directed by Gary Griffin; ‘Charlotte’ in Charlotte — Life or Theatre?; 'Meg' in the workshop of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical Love Never Dies. Pilkington took part in the workshop of a new musical based on Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.

Film

Pilkington was due to play the role of a Blind Opera Singer in 2010's The Wolfman, opposite Benicio del Toro, but her scene had been cut from the final version of the film. However, the scene was included in the Director's Cut DVD version.[12]

In July 2012 it was announced that Pilkington would star in the new Les Misérables movie, directed by Tom Hooper. Pilkington was credited as Inn Whore 1[13] starring in the Master of the House scene opposite Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. Her former Wicked co-star Kerry Ellis appears in the same scene in the ensemble.

Television

Pilkington's television credits include appearing on the West End edition of The Weakest Link, which aired 31 December 2008. Pilkington came in a respectable 4th place.[14] She also appeared on Britain's Got Talent giving a brief tour of Wicked, on This Morning performing Popular with Alexia Khadime and on The Alan Titchmarsh Show discussing reality TV shows such as Over The Rainbow.

Awards

Pilkington was nominated in the "Best Takeover Role" category for her role in Wicked at the 2008 Theatregoer's Choice Awards, but lost to co-star Kerry Ellis.[15] She and Alexia Khadime won the "Art and Culture Woman of the Future" category at the 2009 Women of the Future Awards.[16] Pilkington also won the Broadwayworld.com UK Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for The 39 Steps.[17]

Theatre credits

Year Show Venue(s) Role(s) Notes
1997–1998 Les Misérables Palace Theatre Ensemble Also understudied the roles of 'Fantine' and 'Cosette'
1999 Tess Savoy Theatre Marion Dewy 30 October 1999 – 8 January 2000
2000 Sweeney Todd Bridewell Theatre Beggar Woman
2000–2001 The Beautiful Game Cambridge Theatre Protestant Girl 26 September 2000 – 1 September 2001
2002 Taboo The Venue Leicester Square Kim
2002–2003 Beauty and the Beast UK Tour Belle
2003–2004 Tonight's the Night Victoria Palace Theatre Mary
2004–2005 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Victoria Palace Theatre Snow White
2005 The Far Pavilions Shaftesbury Theatre Belinda 24 March 2005 – 17 September 2005
2006–2007 Cats UK Tour Grizabella
2007–2010 Wicked Apollo Victoria Theatre Glinda 16 July 2007 – 27 March 2010
2010–2011 The 39 Steps Criterion Theatre Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret 26 April 2010 – 29 January 2011
2011 She Loves Me Chichester Festival Theatre Amalia 9 May 2011 – 18 June 2011
2012 Master Class Vaudeville Theatre Sophie De Palma 7 February 2012 – 28 April 2012
2013–2016 Mamma Mia! Novello Theatre Donna Sheridan 10 June 2013 – 11 June 2016
2017 Whisper House The Other Palace Aunt Lily 8 May 2017 – 27 May 2017
2017–2018 Young Frankenstein Newcastle Theatre Royal & Garrick Theatre Elizabeth Benning 26 August 2017 – 25 August 2018
2019 Only Fools and Horses The Musical Haymarket Theatre Royal Raquel
2020 Cinderella Cadogan Hall Marie/FairyGodmother Concert

Discography

Year Song(s) Album
2002 "Love Is A Question Mark", "Pretty Lies", "Independent Woman" Taboo
2003 "Reason To Believe" Tonight's The Night
2007 "God's Own Country" The Beautiful Game
2008 "I Only Wish For You" "Act One – Songs From the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange"
2010 "Stuck On You" "Bush Tales" by Matthew R Jameson
2010 see details below Little Stories
2011 "Trusting You" with Shimi Goodman on his debut album "When You Hear My Voice"
2012 "She's My Sister" The In-Between: A New Musical

Album

Pilkington's début solo album, entitled Little Stories, was released in December 2010.[18]

Little Stories: Track listing
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Meadowlark" (From The Baker's Wife)Stephen Schwartz5:32
2."Someone Else's Story" (from the musical Chess)Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus3:36
3."Burn (*)"Christopher Hamilton, Tennessee Williams3:43
4."Remember (*)"Christopher Hamilton3:26
5."As Good As New (*)" (Melody Towers)Christopher Hamilton, Susannah Pearse2:31
6."Somebody's Wife (*)" (from Over The Threshold)Christopher Hamilton3:18
7."The Man That Got Away" (From A Star Is Born)Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin5:29
8."It's Never Easy / I've Been Here Before" (From Closer Than Ever Feat. Nicole Faraday)Richard Maltby, Jr., David Shire5:39
9."Memory" (From Cats)Andrew Lloyd Webber4:30
10."Quando M'en Vo" (From La Bohème)Giacomo Puccini2:31
11."Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (Feat. Mark Goldthorp)Cole Porter4:18

(*) Previously Unrecorded

All songs performed by Dianne Pilkington and Accompanied on the Piano by Chris Hamilton.

References

  1. ^ "News". diannepilkington.co.uk. 27 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  2. ^ "WICKED Cast Change: Flashback – Kerry Ellis And Dianne Pilkington". Westend.broadwayworld.com. 27 March 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Wicked's Dianne Pilkington and David Bark-Jones to Join London's The 39 Steps". Playbill. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Rogers, Wright, Canavan, Kearns Join THE 39 STEPS". Westend.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Lauderdale House". Lauderdale House. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Dianne Pilkington | Chichester Festival Theatre". Cft.org.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Full Cast Announced for Tyne Daly Led West End MASTER CLASS". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  8. ^ Hemley, Matthew (30 April 2013). "Dianne Pilkington to join Mamma Mia! as part of major cast change". The Stage. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  9. ^ Cole, Emily (20 April 2016). "Mamma Mia welcomes new cast and announces West End extension". Whats on Stage. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  10. ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (6 March 2017). "Cast announced for Whisper House". Whats on Stage. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  11. ^ Cole, Emily (21 April 2017). "Hadley Fraser, Summer Strallen & More to Star in London's Young Frankenstein". Broadway.com. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  12. ^ Alternate versions for The Wolfman
  13. ^ Full cast and crew for Les Misérables (2012). IMDb.
  14. ^ West End Musical Stars Line Up for Weakest Link Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ^ "Theatregoers' Choice Award Winners". Whatsonstage.com. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  16. ^ "WICKED Stars Khadime and Pilkington Named Women of the Future". Westend.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  17. ^ "LOVE NEVER DIES The Big Winner in First BWW:UK Awards!". Broadwayworld.com. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  18. ^ "Little Stories". Dresscircle.co.uk. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
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