Ben Richards will join previously announced Beverley Knight in the international hit musical The Bodyguard when it returns to the West End for a limited six month run in July this year. Richards will play Frank Farmer, Rachel Marron’s bodyguard, alongside Beverley Knight in the leading role of the Oscar-nominated superstar Marron. Performances begin at the Dominion Theatre on 15 July 2016 for this strictly limited season to 7 January 2017.
Richards will play Frank Farmer, Rachel Marron’s bodyguard, alongside Beverley Knight.
Ben Richards can currently be seen in Hollyoaks playing Sergeant Ben Bradley, a role he has been playing for just over a year. Previously on television he played Nate Roberts in The Bill, Bruno Milligan in Footballer’s Wives as well as roles in Doctors and Holby City. His many leading roles in musical theatre include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls on tour and in the West End, Danny Zuko in Grease at the Victoria Palace Theatre and on tour, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium and on tour, Jerry Lukowski in The Full Monty at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical at the Palace Theatre, Bill Sykes in Oliver at Sheffield Crucible as well as Franklyn Hart in 9-5 and Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages, both on tour.
Thea Sharrock’s production of The Bodyguard received its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in November 2012 where it opened to critical acclaim with Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and due to public demand the show’s run was extended. In 2013 Beverley Knight joined the cast and took over the lead role. The show continued to play to packed houses and released a further 300,000 tickets for sale. Alexandra Burke followed Knight as Rachel Marron in June 2014 who continues to play the role inthe show’s UK and Ireland sell-out tour which completes its hit run in June this year.
The cast comprises Beverley Knight (Rachel Marron), Ben Richards (The Bodyguard), Rachel John (Nicki Marron), Carole Stennett (alternate Rachel Marron), Mark Holden (Bill Devaney), Alex Andreas (Tony), Dominic Taylor (Sy Spector), Matthew Stathers (Stalker) and Glen Fox (Ray Court). Ensemble members are Omari Bernard, Faye Best, Pablo Ceresuela Torres, Carlos Ugarriza Crespo, Lisa Darnell, Charles Hagerty, Emma Joy Hopkins, Ibinabo Jack,Christopher Jeffers, Verity Jones, Annie Kitchen, Phoebe Liberty, Raul Naranjo Garcia, Mary Lynn Tiep, Michael Wade-Peters, Matthew Wesley, Emmy Willow and Mark Willshire. The young boys who will alternate the role of Fletcher will be announced shortly.
