Susie Blake To Play ‘Madame Morrible’ In The Hit Musical Wicked From 2 April 2007

Susie Blake is to star as Madame Morrible in the hit musical WICKED at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre from Monday 2 April 2007.

For the past four years, Susie Blake has been playing Beverley Unwin in CORONATION STREET. Amongst her numerous other television appearances, Susie is still much-loved for her regular roles in Victoria Wood’s AS SEEN ON TV series and various specials. Some of Susie’s recent theatre work includes playing Belinda Blair in Michael Frayn’s NOISES OFF, directed by Jeremy Sams, at the National Theatre, on national tour and at the Piccadilly Theatre and the national tour of HIGH SOCIETY, directed by Ian Talbot, playing Mother Lord.

Miriam Margolyes will play her final performance as Madame Morrible on Saturday 31 March 2007.

WICKED has already been seen by over a quarter of a million theatregoers in London since its first public performance on 7 September 2006, grossing over £10 million at the Box Office and twice setting new West End Box Office records for highest weekly gross.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s acclaimed novel, the spellbinding WICKED tells the incredible untold story of an extraordinary friendship between two girls: the blond and popular Glinda and the misunderstood green girl, Elphaba, whose destiny is to become the Wicked Witch of the West.

WICKED currently stars: Kerry Ellis as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore as Glinda, Adam Garcia as Fiyero,

Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible, Nigel Planer as The Wizard, Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond, James Gillan as Boq and Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose.

SUSIE BLAKE BIOGRAPHY

Susie trained at the Elmhurst Ballet School, the Arts Educational School and LAMDA. She began her professional career at Leeds Playhouse, moving onto the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.

THEATRE: Mother Lord in HIGH SOCIETY on national tour, Miriam in SNAKE IN THE GRASS and Louise in JOKING APART at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and on tour; Belinda Blair in NOISES OFF at the National Theatre, on tour and at the Piccadilly Theatre; Beth Hall in VIRTUAL REALITY at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and on tour; Betty in LARKIN WITH WOMEN at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough; Mistress Ford in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and Domina in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park; Linda in KAFKA'S DICK at the Nottingham Playhouse; Lesley in TALES MY LOVER TOLD ME and MUCH REVUE ABOUT NOTHING both at the King's Head; Gertrude Lawrence in NOEL AND GERTIE at the Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich; Margaret in ALL THINGS CONSIDERED at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and the Hampstead Theatre; THE SHAKESPEARE REVUE for the RSC at the Barbican, the Vaudeville and on national tour; UNDER THEIR HATS at the King's Head and the English Speaking Theatre in Vienna; A FLEA IN HER EAR at Theatr Clwyd and the West Yorkshire Playhouse; Diana in ABSENT FRIENDS at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Lyric, Hammersmith; Madame Arcati in BLITHE SPIRIT at the Royal Exchange, Manchester; THE DOUBLE DEALER and BABY both at the Library Theatre, Manchester and national tour; PRIN at the Lyric, Hammersmith and the Lyric Theatre (West End); UP AND RUNNING at the Theatre Royal, Windsor; EXCLUSIVE YARNS at the Palace, Watford and the West End; WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR TROUSERS? at the Garrick; WHILE THE SUN SHINES, national tour; BABES IN THE WOOD at the Richmond Theatre; SNOOPY at the Watermill, Newbury and the Duchess Theatre; TONIGHT AT 8.30 on tour and the Apollo Theatre; PICTURE OF INNOCENCE with Robert Morley; THE CABINET MINISTER on tour; BED BEFORE YESTERDAY at the Lyric Theatre; Janet in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW on tour; GODSPELL on tour.

TELEVISION: Beverley Unwin in CORONATION STREET for Granada (regular), Eve Beckett in ROGER, ROGER for BBC; Mrs Buchanan in SUNBURN for BBC; Beverley in two series of A PRINCE AMONG MEN for BBC; DROP THE DEAD DONKEY (guest role) for Channel 4; Louise in APRIL FOOLS DAY with Hale and Pace for ITV; ELEVEN MEN AGAINST ELEVEN with James Bolam for Channel 4; RETURN TO BLOOD RIVER, a BBC Screenplay; WAKE UP WITH...with Nigel Planer, a pilot for ITV; 2 series of MUD for Childrens' BBC; Susan Hopkins in A YEAR IN PROVENCE for BBC; Fay Morgan in THE WAIL OF THE BANSHEE for Central TV; Mrs Jerebohm in THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY for YTV; BLORE for BBC; THE GANG SHOW for BBC; 4 series of SINGLES for YTV; regular character in 3 series and 2 specials of THE VICTORIA WOOD SHOW for BBC; THE JIM DAVIDSON SHOW for Thames TV; RUSS ABBOTT'S MADHOUSE, 4 series for LWT; THE STANLEY BAXTER SHOW for LWT; PARADISE POSTPONED; THANK YOU MISS JONES for Thames TV; BORN AND BRED for Thames TV; A DOG'S RANSOM for Thames TV; COMET AMONGST THE STARS with Sir Ralph Richardson; GHOST SONATA; LOVE SCHOOL; ZODIAC.

FILM: The Woman in Red in FIERCE CREATURES with John Cleese.

RADIO: 3 series of THE RUSS ABBOTT SHOW; THE FRANKIE HOWERD SHOW; WEEK ENDING; Noel Coward’s TONIGHT AT 8.30