Amanda Holden to play Fairy Godmother in Cinderella Panto at Palladium

It has just been announced that Amanda Holden will star as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the London Palladium this Christmas from 14th December 2016 (previews from 9th December) to  15th January 2017.

She joins Paul O’Grady  as The Wicked Stepmother, Julian Clary as Dandini, Lee Mead as Prince Charming, Paul Zerdin as Buttons, Nigel Havers as Lord Chamberlain and Count Arthur Strong as Baron Hardup.


Tickets for Cinderella

John Barrowman & Amanda Holden on Alan Titchmarsh Show

The Alan Titchmarsh Show returns to ITV1 on Monday 5th September between 3:00-4:00 pm. On his first show his guests will include Amanda Holden who is currently playing Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical.

This is her first her first TV appearance since announcing the news of her pregnancy and she’ll be telling Alan all about her involvement in Vodaphone’s Just Text Giving Challenge.

He will also be joined by John Barrowman who has just released a new CD and has concert tour “A Night with John Barrowman” due to start on 19th October.

Kimberley Walsh taking over from Amanda Holden in Shrek

Shrek the Musical is currently playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Amanda Holden playing the part of Princess Fiona.

Sadly Amanda suffered a miscarriage earlier this year,  but the good news is that she is now three months pregnant and expecting a baby girl.  Very sensibly she is taking no chances so will be leaving Shrek two months earlier than planned on 3rd October with Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud taking over her role from 5th October.

Amanda will also be reducing her number of performances with Alice Fearn playing Princess Fiona at Thursday  and Saturday matinees.

Sad news as Amanda Holden loses her baby

Tragically Amanda Holden has lost her unborn baby boy. She was seven months pregnant.

She has been constantly tweeting during her rounds as a judge in the fifth series of Britain’s Got Talent but has been surprisingly quiet this week.  Now I know that was due to the fact that she was rushed to hospital in West London on Tuesday when she noticed the baby wasn't moving.  Her son was later stillborn. Having suffered a miscarriage last year Amanda was closely monitored throughout the pregnancy and it is not yet known what went wrong.

She is due to star at Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May. Amanda is a real trouper and I’m sure she will pull get herself together very quickly and focus on her work, but this is such a terrible for her to go through as she was clearly thrilled about this baby.   I know that like me a lot of people will feel  very upset when I heard the news this morning.

Shrek's Amanda Holden pregnant

Amanda Holden has just announced on her Twitter account that she is six months pregnant and expecting a boy. 

Great news and good timing as if the baby is due in March she will just about be able to start rehearsals in time to appear as Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical when it starts previews on 1st May.

 She has also said taht she will still be doing Britain's Got Talent and Shrek the Musical!

Sheridan Smith and Amanda Holden attend Pride of Britain Awards

Sheridan Smith who is appearing in Legally Blonde and Amanda Holden who is due to appear in Shrek the Musical next year were at the Pride of Britain Awards last night at London’s Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

The show was attended by Prince Chalres and the Duchess of Cornwall and was hosted by Carol Vorderman. It will be televised on Wednesday 10th November at 8:00 pm on ITV1.

Launch of Shrek the Musical

Shrek - The Musical  was officially launched yesterday at the Haymarket Hotel. It is due to open at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 7th June 2011 (previews from 1st May).

The main principals have been cast with Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona and Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad. It was the first time the main cast members had all been together with rehearsals due to start in March.

Composer Jeanine Tesori and lyric and book writer David Lindsay-Abaire performed numbers from the show which has been extensively revamped since its Broadway debut in 2008 and US tour.  Numbers performed were the show’s opening "Big Bright Beautiful World" and "I Know It's Today". They were then joined by Carrie Compere who plays the Dragon in the UK tour to perform "Forever”.

Further casting is still to be announced for the West End production.

You can buy tickets for Shrek the Musical by clicking on the link

Amanda Holden’s look as Princess Fiona in Shrek?

The usually very glamorous and highly groomed Amanda Holden threw dignity to the wind and posted the picture on the left on Twitter earlier this week

Her face has been digitally stretched to portray  the image of the green and grumpy giant Princess Fiona which she will play opposite Nigel Lindsay in the musical Shrek opening at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane next year,

Tickets have just gone on sale for Shrek the Musical and it promises to be a “must see” with the new tour receiving  rave reviews in the States and the West End production receiving more tweaks and featuring new songs and extra scenes.


Buy tickets for Shrek the Musical here

Amanda Holden not being axed from Britain's Got Talent. She is appearing in Shrek the musical!

According to today’s Mirror,  Amanda Holden is facing the axe in a shake-up of Britain’s Got Talent next year with comics Peter Kay and Paul O’Grady on Simon Cowell’s “wish list” for judges.

Simon Cowell has already announced he is quitting the show to concentrate on the launch of the US version of X Factor next year and Piers Morgan it over from Larry King to host his own chat show in America.

What the Mirror is forgetting is that Amanda will not available next year as she is playing Princess Fiona in the new blockbuster musical Shrek which opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May.

With the tweaking of the US tour that is going on, rumours coming from New York and strong cast that is being assembled here,  this show is set to become a “must see” in London’s West End.  I think Amanda is very wise to opt for trading the boards again as if Messrs Kay and O’Grady are judges it will be very hard to find a female judge to hold her own with them – and ironically Miss Holden is one lady who could have coped admirably!

Amanda Holden and Richard Blackwood cast in Shrek the Musical

As predicted on 25th June Britain's Got Talent Amanda Holden is playing Princess Fiona in the West End production of Shrek the Musical which is scheduled to open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane after Oliver! closes.  
 
Tickets for Shrek the Musical are on sale from 1st October with the previews in May 2011 and the opening night in early June.  The new stage musical will be booking until February 19th 2012.

Richard Blackwood (radio and TV presenter, comedian and actor) will be playing Donkey (the part created in the Shrek movies by Eddie Murphy).

Other casting rumours are that Nigel Lindsay (Nathan Detroit in Michael Grandage's Guys & Dolls) and Nigel Harman (EastEnders and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls) are in very early talks to play Shrek and Lord Farquaad respectively. 

Shrek will be directed by Tony Award® nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises) – who worked with Miss Holden when she  appeared on the West End stage in Thoroughly Modern Millie seven years ago.

A number of changes are expected for the West End show with new numbers, a new opening and spectacular improved illusions with a redesigned dragon and Shrek.

Amanda Holden auditions for Shrek the Musical

Amanda Holden has been pictured doing some serious shopping in the USA over the past few days, but that’s not the real reason she’s there. She has been auditioning for the role of Princess Fiona in the £10million stage musical Shrek. This is the part voiced by Cameron Diaz in the Shrek films, but she has already declared that she will not be appearing in the stage production.

The show is due to open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane next May (Oliver! is closing in January to make way for it) so there is still plenty of time to go with the casting and apparently scores of actors have been seen for the four main roles of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad and Donkey. But apparently Amanda did an excellent initial audition and has been then recalled to sing and dance for the production team.

As previously blogged, at one point Michael Ball was under consideration for the part of Shrek but his diary for next year is full with the successful UK tour of Hairspray, concerts and a production of Sweeney Todd at Chichester opposite Imelda Staunton.