Ugly Betty to play Roxie in Chicago

American actress America Ferrera makes her West End stage debut next month playing Roxie Hart in Chicago the musical when it re-opens at the Garrick Theatre. She is the Emmy Award-winning actress who played TV’s Ugly Betty which ended in April last year after four seasons.

She will play the role for a limited 8 week run from 7th November and will be joined by Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly who is currently starring in the Broadway production and played the role in the West End opposite Christie Brinkley before the show closed earlier this year.

After her run in Chicago, Ferrera will make her Broadway debut next spring in a revival of Beth Henley’s The Miss Firecracker Contest playing a Mississippi woman who enters a beauty pageant

Chicago opened at London's Adelphi Theatre in 1997, transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in 2006 where it closed in August of this year to make way for Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Ferrera will help celebrate the start of the show's 15th year in London on its anniversary on November 18th.

As well as the Garrick Theatre production, Chicago the musical is going on a UK tour in 2012.  It opens at the Bradford Alhambra on 10th February and has announced dates for Hull, Manchester, Sunderland, York and Edinburgh between February and April next year. Casting still to be announced.