Niamh Perry is a Northern Irish singer who is best known for playing Fleck in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dies. She came to prominence when she competed as one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008.[1]
Niamh Perry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Niamh Perry |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Early life
editBorn in Bangor, County Down, Perry attended Our Lady and St. Patrick's College, Knock.[2]
In 2007, she achieved a Distinction in her Grade eight classical singing examination, for which she won the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) Outstanding Achievement Award for Contribution to the Arts[3] She was a member of Music Theatre for Youth (MT4UTH) from when the company was founded in 2005 and she was also a member of the MT4UTH Showcase group, Footlighters. She performed with MT4UTH in productions of Sweet Charity, in which she played the lead role of Charity,[4] Oliver!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Guys and Dolls and West Side Story.[citation needed] She also sang a solo at the re-opening of the Grand Opera House in Belfast.[5]
In February 2008, Perry took part in an NSPCC campaign encouraging adults to call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline if they had concerns about a child's welfare.[6]
Singing career
editIn March 2008, Perry was announced as one of the final 12 contestants in the BBC1 programme I'd Do Anything, which premiered on 15 March 2008 and aimed to find a performer to play Nancy in a West End revival of the musical Oliver!. Perry was eliminated from the show in week eight [7] but has since gone on to have a successful career in musical theatre.
Perry played the lead role of Belle in the musical Only the Brave, which had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on 31 July 2008 at the George Square theatre and ran until 25 August.[8][9] On 13 September 2008 she performed alongside fellow I'd Do Anything finalist Rachel Tucker at the Proms in the Park, held at Belfast City Hall as part of the nationwide celebration of the BBC Last Night of the Proms.[10][11]
Perry was a featured vocalist with the BBC Concert Orchestra on the BBC Radio 2 programme Friday Night is Music Night in October 2008.[12]
On 16 November 2008, Perry sang at St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London at a fundraising and awareness raising event for Save the Children. She was the joint lead vocalist with opera singer Mark Stone as they sang the premiere performance of "The Cry, a requiem for a lost child".[13]
She appeared in pantomime at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, East Sussex from 12 December 2008 to 11 January 2009 in Show White and the Seven Dwarfs playing the lead role of Snow White alongside Stefan Booth.[14]
In May 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed on an episode of 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' that Perry would be singing one of the roles on the Original Cast Recording for Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera, describing her as "wonderful".[15]
On Monday 15 June 2009, Niamh began playing the lead role of Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! The Musical at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London, with Sally Ann Triplett as Donna.[16]
On 19 March 2011 she was the wedding singer for the BBC Three live musical drama Frankenstein's Wedding.[17]
In 2012, Perry gained positive reviews for her portrayal of Kim in the Boy George musical Taboo.[18]
Perry went on to impress as Johanna Barker in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and then at Royal Exchange, Manchester.[19]
In February 2014, it was announced that Perry had been selected to lead the cast of the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Beautiful Game when it returned to London.[20] She went on to receive much critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mary.[21][22][23][24]
Thomas & Friends
editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (June 2020) |
Perry was confirmed as the voice of Dash by Joel Beckford. She performed a festive Wombles classic "Wombling Merry Christmas" together with Joel Beckford, Jessie Buckley, Jon Moses and the new series narrator Laura Whitmore, who did the narrating interlude.
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | I'd Do Anything | Herself | |
| 2008 | BBC Last Night of the Proms | Herself | |
| 2010 | Frankenstein's Wedding | The Wedding Singer | |
| 2013 | Thomas & Friends | Dash | Voice |
Theatre Credits
edit| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Oliver! | Ensemble | MT4UTH | London |
| 2006 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Ensemble | MT4UTH | London |
| 2006 | Guys & Dolls | Ensemble | MT4UTH | London |
| 2007 | West Side Story | Ensemble | MT4UTH | London |
| 2007 | Sweet Charity | Charity | MT4UTH | London |
| 2008 | Only The Brave | Belle | George Square Theatre | Edinburgh Fringe Festival |
| 2008-09 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Snow White | Devonshire Park Theatre | Eastbourne |
| 2009 | Love Never Dies | Fleck | Adelphi Theatre | West End |
| 2009-10 | Mamma Mia | Sophie Sheridan | Prince of Wales Theatre | West End |
| 2010-11 | Lee Mead Concert Tour | Herself | — | UK National Tour |
| 2011-12 | The Little Prince Musical | The Little Prince | Lyric Theatre | Belfast |
| 2012 | A Song Cycle for Soho | Herself | Soho Theatre | Off-West End |
| 2012 | Taboo | Kim | Brixton Clubhouse | Off-West End |
| 2013 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Johanna | West Yorkshire Playhouse / Royal Exchange | West Yorkshire / Manchester |
| 2014 | The Beautiful Game | Mary | The Union Theatre | London |
| 2014-16 | Mamma Mia | Sophie Sheridan | — | International Tour |
| 2017 | Once | Girl | Gaiety Theatre | Dublin |
| 2018 | Whisper House | Female Ghost | The Other Palace | Off-West End |
| 2019 | Exposure | Pandora | St James's Theatre | Off-West End |
| 2022 | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | Delphini Diggory | Palace Theatre | West End |
References
edit- ^ "Nancy Contestants – Niamh". BBC News. 22 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ "Niamh reaches 8 in the search for NANCY". Our Lady and St. Patrick's College, Knock. 19 April 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ "SEELB Outstanding Achievement Awards 2007". Our Lady and St. Patrick's College, Knock. 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ "Youth Arts Gallery – Music Theatre 4 Youth". Arts Council of Northern Ireland. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ "Niamh Perry: A superstar is born". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ "'Talk to us', says NSPCC". Community Telegraph. 26 February 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ "Reviewing the Situation: Week Eight". BBC News. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
- ^ Paddock, Terri (19 June 2008). "Reality TV's Keith & Niamh Head Brave New Musical". whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ Apter, Kelly (20 August 2008). "Musical & Opera Review: Only The Brave". The Scotsman. UK. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ "BBC Proms in the Park". Ulster Orchestra. Retrieved 30 August 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Matthew Brind". Gavin Barker Associates Ltd. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ "Events – The Cry: A Requiem for the Lost Child". Save the Children. 16 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Eastbournetheatres.co.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ One Programmes – Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. BBC (18 July 2010). Retrieved on 18 November 2011.
- ^ George R Vaughan Mamma's New Bride. Womentalking.co.uk. 8 Jul 2009
- ^ "corsets, crafts and cupcakes: I Was A Guest At Frankenstein's Wedding...Live In Leeds". Corsetscraftsandcupcakes.blogspot.com. 20 March 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "The Public Reviews » Taboo – Brixton Club House, London". www.thepublicreviews.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ Cavendish, Dominic (4 October 2013). "Sweeney Todd, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "Niamh Perry to lead the cast of the Beautiful Game revival | News | the Stage". www.thestage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "The Beautiful Game (Union Theatre) | WhatsOnStage". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "The Beautiful Game @ The Union Theatre". Thegizzlereview.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "Niamh Perry Playing The Beautiful Game – Interview". Musicaltheatrereview.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "The Beautiful Game – Union Theatre, London | the Public Reviews". www.thepublicreviews.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
External links
edit- Niamh Perry at IMDb