Having kicked up dust across the UK with her powerhouse performance as the Killer Queen in the recent touring production of Queen and Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You, former X Factor finalist Brenda Edwards has been invited to join the West End production to reprise the role which brought her great critical notice during the show’s year-long tour.
Drawing almost universal praise for both her comedy performance and vocal prowess as the ‘mean’ Killer Queen, Brenda makes her first night appearance with the London production on stage at the Dominion Theatre on Monday June 21.
Brenda joins the cast for a strictly limited ten week season before she embarks on a lengthy UK and international tour of the show starting in December in Manchester.
Show co-creator Brian May today said: We’re very happy that, while our wonderful Mazz Murray takes a break to have her baby, Brenda Edwards is to play Killer Queen for us in the Dominion Theatre. Brenda is irrepressible, scary, funny, and a killer singer. The lot! She delighted audiences on the WWRY tour of Britain last year. I have no doubt that she will Rock the Dominion.â€
Cast in the touring production of We Will Rock You alongside Kevin Kennedy, Jonathan Wilkes, and Georgina Hagan, Brenda played over 300 performances as the mean-spirited Killer Queen who has a plan to ban live music from the planet only to be thwarted by a bunch of rebellious teenage dreamers.
Her interpretation of the role and sensational audience reaction on tour have led the show producers to invite her to join the Dominion cast at the first opportunity.
Said Brenda today: “I’d like to wish Mazz all the best for the birth of her first chid. I’m so excited to be asked to be part of the West End Production and can’t wait to bring my kind of magic to the Dominion Theatreâ€
Brenda’s season with We Will Rock You marks a much welcomed return to the West End for the X Factor finalist who became voted the UK’s “Favourite Reality TV Starâ€.
Having been the final woman in X Factor 2005, Brenda went on to become much sought after for West End casting. Immediately after appearing in the TV show she was snapped up to play the role of Mama Morton in Chicago The Musical with the prestigious position of closing the show at the Adelphi and reopening it at the Cambridge Theatre and played the role for a year.
She then created the role of Pearl Pastor in Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall performing with both The London and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. Brenda has gone on to play a series of high profile concerts as a headliner and as special guest vocalist including an appearance at the Cardiff Millenium Stadium in front of 40,000 people. She has performed for three consecutive years at Rochester Castle and also for the past three years at the Barbican with Brenda’s Gospel Christmas.
She is also a favourite with television making appearances on numerous shows as well as being a regular correspondent at GMTV.
This autumn sees the release of Brenda’s first single “You Know How To Love Me”. Released by MaKiNG Records, the single will be available on iTunes, Napster, Amazon and all good download sites. For more information visit link
The London’s Dominion Theatre production of We Will Rock You is currently playing its ninth year and has been seen by more than four million people. The show is presently booking until April 2011.