Dianne Pilkington will take over the role of Donna Sheridan in hit West End musical Mamma Mia! later this year as part of the largest cast change the London show has ever seen.
The actress will join the cast from 10 June along with 24 other cast members including Jane Milligan, Richard Trinder, Emma Crossley, Oliver Tilney, Jessica Daley, Stephanie Clift, Dickie Wood and Dan Krikler.
Last seen on the London stage in Master Class at the Vaudeville theatre, Pilkington’s stage credits include West End long-runners The 39 Steps and Wicked, while on screen she has appeared in Top Hooper’s blockbuster film Les Misérables.
Featuring songs by Swedish super group ABBA, Mamma Mia! tells the story of a former singer whose daughter is due to marry at their Greek island home. When Sophie, desperate for her real father to give her away at the wedding, invites the three potential candidates to attend, Donna finds her past catching up with her.
The hit musical, which opened at the Prince Edward theatre in 1999 before transferring to the Prince of Wales theatre and later to its current home at the Novello theatre, has been seen by more than 54 million people in 38 productions worldwide, with more than 10 per cent of the UK’s population having seen the show in the 14 years it has played in the capital.