MELANIE C, the chart-topping star of the biggest girl band of all time – The Spice Girls – is to make her theatrical debut in BLOOD BROTHERS. Her opening performance on Monday 26 October will mark the first by a Spice Girl in a West End musical.

Liverpool born Melanie will star as Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s legendary West End smash hit, one of the longest running shows in musical history. Melanie will follow in the footsteps of Barbara Dickson, Kiki Dee, Carole King and Helen Reddy in taking on the iconic role in the year that BLOOD BROTHERS celebrates its 21st birthday at London’s Phoenix Theatre.
 
Melanie won universal acclaim as one fifth of the Spice Girls, the group who captured the imagination of the world with their brand of girl power and brilliantly infectious pop music. The Spice Girls led the way for future girl bands like Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten and the Pussycat Dolls – with Melanie’s trademark kicks and searing vocals at the fore of their unprecedented success.

As a solo artist, Melanie has gone on to have the most successful musical career of the quintet, having released four albums, earned nominations for BRIT and ECHO Awards and charted at the top of Billboard Dance Chart in America.

Melanie holds the position for most UK No 1 singles by a female co-writer. She is third after Lennon and McCartney for the most UK No 1 singles by a British co-writer and is the only female to reach the UK No 1 spot as part of a quintet, quartet, duo and as a solo artist.

Melanie has recently staged a hugely successful sell-out reunion tour with the Spice Girls. She has also recently announced two guest appearances at concerts at the Royal Albert Hall: the first, on 25 October, is for the PRS Music Members Benevolent Fund and the second is in aid of the Caron Keating Foundation on 1 November. Earlier this year she become a mother for the first time and is working on her fifth studio album.

• News