Kelly Osbourne is to make her West End stage debut as Mama Morton in Chicago at the Cambridge from 10 September for a limited season to 27 October.
Osbourne, daughter of X Factor judge Sharon and Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy, first came to prominence when the family’s life was chronicled on US television in the reality series The Osbournes. Since then Osbourne has remained in the media spotlight, presenting a number of television shows including three-part documentary Turning Japanese. As a singer, she has released two albums, and in 2003 she reached number one in the UK charts with the single Changes, a duet with her father Ozzy.
Osbourne will join a cast including West End regular and Laurence Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe, who returns to the role of Amos Hart. Rowe, a frequent face on the West End stage, recently finished a run of Into The Woods at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio, and guest-starred as the voice of the plant in Little Shop Of Horrors. Other London stage credits include Caroline, Or Change at the National last year, Simply Heavenly at Trafalgar Studios, As You Like It at the Wyndham’s and Guys And Dolls at the National in 1997, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award, as well as frequent appearances as the panto dame in Hackney Empire’s Christmas shows. This is not the first time Rowe has played the weedy husband of murderess Roxie in Chicago – he took on the role at the show’s previous home, the Adelphi, in 2002.
Starring alongside Osbourne and Rowe will be Chicago regulars Josefina Gabrielle and Annette McLaughlin as Roxie and Velma, the pair of fame-hungry showgirls who find themselves in need of a shifty lawyer to get them out of jail. Currently playing said lawyer, Billy Flynn, is former Blue singer Duncan James, who continues in the role to 8 September. No further casting has been announced for this role at present.
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