Kerry Ellis is Cruella de Vil

Is there nothing Kerry Ellis cannot do? The West End and Broadway star, who features in the current issue of Musicals magazine, is jumping straight from her solo concert dates into 101 Dalmatians for the tail end (!) of its UK and Ireland tour. Starring as the iconic villain Cruella de Vil (taking over from Kym Marsh and Faye Tozer), Ellis joins the show at New Theatre Oxford from 3 December, finishing at the Brighton Theatre Royal on 5 January 2025.

The new musical, by Douglas Hodge (music, lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book) from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris, had its initial outing at Regent’s Park in 2022, directed by Timothy Sheader and starring Kate Fleetwood as the fur-wearing, attention-grabbing de Vil. Since then, the show has acquired a new creative team, including director Bill Buckhurst and puppet designer Jimmy Grimes. It opened at New Wimbledon Theatre in June and has so far visited Birmingham, Norwich, Canterbury and Leicester.

Ellis has always followed her own path, as her interview with Claire Allfree for Musicals makes clear. From turning down the role of the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Palladium at the age of 19, to forging a strong partnership with Queen guitarist Brian May, she has achieved a reputation as a recording and concert artist in parallel to her career in Musical Theatre. She played Elphaba in Wicked in the West End and on Broadway, has toured extensively with Miss Saigon, Chess and Rent, and recently stepped into Sutton Foster’s hard-to-fill tap-dancing shoes as Reno Sweeney for the 2022 return of Anything Goes at the Barbican. Reflecting on the evolving landscape of Musical Theatre, Ellis told Allfree: ‘We’re having to adapt, to change things up.’

This latest casting news is further evidence that Ellis is still open to new possibilities – in this case, to performing in a brand-new musical, which features a contemporary, pop-rock/jazz-infused score, alongside a litter of puppy puppets. Speaking about the role, she said: ‘I’m delighted to be joining the cast of 101 Dalmatians. I have always loved the film, and am a massive dog lover, so this one will be a real treat for me. And I cannot wait to play Cruella. What a role!’

For tour information and tickets, visit 101dalmatians.co.uk 

Read Claire Allfree's interview with Kerry Ellis in the August/September issue out now – subscribe to Musicals today