Summer Strallen
Encyclopedia
Summer Peta Vaigncourt-Strallen (born December 21, 1985) is an English
actress who has performed various roles on stage and screen. Her most notable theatre credits include Meg Giry in the West End
production of Love Never Dies and Maria Von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's revival of The Sound of Music
at the London Palladium
.
. Her parents, performers Sandy Strallen and Cherida Langford, both performed in the original London production of "Cats", but had met prior to this show. Summer is the niece of Bonnie Langford
, her mother's sister. Her sister Scarlett's godfather is actor Christopher Biggins
.
. She has been involved in the West End
productions of Cats
, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
, Guys and Dolls and The Boyfriend (for which she was nominated for the 2007 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Supporting Role in a Musical’). During the Christmas season of 2006 she played the title role in the pantomime
Dick Whittington and His Cat
. More recently, she starred in The Drowsy Chaperone
(for which she was nominated for the 2008 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’), alongside Elaine Paige
. Strallen voiced the part of "Princess Lucy" in The Big Knights, a British animated children's television series.
It was announced on 4 January 2008 that Strallen would take over the role of "Maria" from Connie Fisher
in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's West End revival of The Sound of Music
, starting from 26 February 2008. As part of a publicity campaign, some months earlier on 2 October 2007, Strallen had been "planted" in the soap opera Hollyoaks
as character Summer Shaw
. The character's storyline eventually involved her auditioning for, and being awarded, the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Her character left Hollyoaks as Strallen debuted in the actual stage production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium
on 26 February 2008. For this role she was nominated for the 'Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role'. Strallen remained with the production till its closure on 21 February 2009.
Strallen competed on a special West End
edition of The Weakest Link
and finished in 2nd place.
Strallen starred as Meg Giry in the sequel to Phantom of the Opera called Love Never Dies, from February 2010 to March 2011 in the West End
at the Adelphi Theatre
. For this role Strallen won the Broadwayworld.com UK Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and was also nominated for the 'Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical'. She also received another nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for this role.
She created the Ginger Rogers
role of Dale Tremont in the new musical adaptation of Top Hat, which began a U.K. tour in August 2011. The production is also scheduled to begin performances at the West End
's Aldwych Theatre
on April 19, 2012 with an opening on May 9, 2012.
She also played the role of Summer Shaw
in Channel 4
's soap Hollyoaks
.
, an album of 20 brand new recordings by 26 West End stars, released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records. She can also be heard on the Love Never Dies cast recording as Meg Giry.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress who has performed various roles on stage and screen. Her most notable theatre credits include Meg Giry in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Love Never Dies and Maria Von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's revival of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
.
Personal life
Strallen was born in London in 1984 and has been dancing since she was 18 months old. She has three sisters who are also actresses: Saskia (Sasi), Zizi and ScarlettScarlett Strallen
Scarlett Strallen is a British stage actress who made her Broadway debut on 9 October 2008 at the New Amsterdam Theatre playing the title role of Mary Poppins...
. Her parents, performers Sandy Strallen and Cherida Langford, both performed in the original London production of "Cats", but had met prior to this show. Summer is the niece of Bonnie Langford
Bonnie Langford
Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress, dancer and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan:...
, her mother's sister. Her sister Scarlett's godfather is actor Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins
Christopher Kenneth Biggins is an English actor and media personality.-Career:Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups...
.
Theatre career
Summer trained at The Arts Educational schools London with her three sisters and for one year at Laine Theatre ArtsLaine Theatre Arts
Laine Theatre Arts is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974, and developed from an earlier school, the Frecker-Laine School of Dancing...
. She has been involved in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
productions of Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Cubby Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.-Productions:...
, Guys and Dolls and The Boyfriend (for which she was nominated for the 2007 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Supporting Role in a Musical’). During the Christmas season of 2006 she played the title role in the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat is an English folk tale that has often been used as the basis for stage pantomimes and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the Lord Mayor of London because of the ratting abilities of his cat...
. More recently, she starred in The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. It started as a spoof of old...
(for which she was nominated for the 2008 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’), alongside Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
. Strallen voiced the part of "Princess Lucy" in The Big Knights, a British animated children's television series.
It was announced on 4 January 2008 that Strallen would take over the role of "Maria" from Connie Fisher
Connie Fisher
Connie Fisher is a Welsh actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?...
in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's West End revival of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, starting from 26 February 2008. As part of a publicity campaign, some months earlier on 2 October 2007, Strallen had been "planted" in the soap opera Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
as character Summer Shaw
Summer Shaw
Summer Shaw is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Summer Strallen. The character is most notable for being 'planted' in the show as publicity for an Andrew Lloyd Webber produced stage production of The Sound of Music...
. The character's storyline eventually involved her auditioning for, and being awarded, the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Her character left Hollyoaks as Strallen debuted in the actual stage production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
on 26 February 2008. For this role she was nominated for the 'Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role'. Strallen remained with the production till its closure on 21 February 2009.
Strallen competed on a special West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
edition of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
and finished in 2nd place.
Strallen starred as Meg Giry in the sequel to Phantom of the Opera called Love Never Dies, from February 2010 to March 2011 in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Adelphi Theatre
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
. For this role Strallen won the Broadwayworld.com UK Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and was also nominated for the 'Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical'. She also received another nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for this role.
She created the Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
role of Dale Tremont in the new musical adaptation of Top Hat, which began a U.K. tour in August 2011. The production is also scheduled to begin performances at the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
's Aldwych Theatre
Aldwych Theatre
The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Aldwych in the City of Westminster. The theatre was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200.-Origins:...
on April 19, 2012 with an opening on May 9, 2012.
Television
Summer played the role of Nancy Morrell in BBC One's World War Two drama Land Girls broadcast in September 2009.She also played the role of Summer Shaw
Summer Shaw
Summer Shaw is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Summer Strallen. The character is most notable for being 'planted' in the show as publicity for an Andrew Lloyd Webber produced stage production of The Sound of Music...
in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's soap Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
.
Recordings
In 2008 Strallen recorded a song for the CD Act One - Songs From The Musicals Of Alexander S. BermangeAlexander S. Bermange
Alexander S. Bermange is an English musical theatre composer and lyricist. He has often served as musical director and pianist for his own productions. He is also a regular broadcaster on UK radio.-Career:...
, an album of 20 brand new recordings by 26 West End stars, released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records. She can also be heard on the Love Never Dies cast recording as Meg Giry.