Coronation Street legend Kym Marsh has announced her ‘iconic’ new role, and it is a far cry from Michelle Connor.
Kym played barmaid and businesswoman Michelle from 2006 until her departure in 2019, following a dramatic storyline which saw her attempt to frame ex-fiancé Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmil) for the murder of Vicky Jefferies (Kerri Quinn).
Now, she is swapping the cobbles of Weatherfield for the stage, as she takes on the role of Cruella De Vil in the UK tour of 101 Dalmatians The Musical.
Based on the book by Dodie Smith, which has also been a hit Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians tells the story of fashionista Cruella’s evil plot to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, which leads to trouble for Pongo and Perdi, and their litter of adorable pups.
Kym announced her new role on Morning Live, revealing that she was ‘so excited’ to be playing the villain, but revealed that one aspect was going to be tough.
‘I love dogs!’ She insisted, when reflecting on playing a character who is quite the opposite.
However, she was quick to point out that some of her friends believe that it won’t be such a challenge…
‘All my other friends are like, “Yeah, but it’s not a far stretch for you [to play a villain] though, is it?”‘
This isn’t the first time Kym has taken to the stage to play a ‘villain’, having previously taken on the role of bunny boiler Alex Forrest in the UK tour of Fatal Attraction, alongside Footballer’s Wives star Susie Amy and Corrie icon Oliver Farnworth.
In this new role, Kym will be acting opposite puppets, she revealed.
‘The main characters, Pongo and Perdi, are all puppets. I can’t wait to see how it’s done, because I haven’t seen it all yet. I haven’t even started rehearsals yet.
Reflecting on the role, Kym said: ‘She’s brilliant. It’s such an iconic role. If you’re going to play a character on stage, you want to play Cruella De Vil.’
101 Dalmatians is set to hit theatres in cities across the UK from June 2024, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, Newcastle, Cardiff and Glasgow, among plenty more.
This role comes following a tough year for Kym, who sadly lost dad Dave to prostate cancer in January.
‘The sad part is that he won’t be around to see it, but he would have loved it,’ she said of her new role. ‘He’d have been so thrilled to see me play this part.
‘But it has come at a good time, to give me a lift and something to get my head into and really look forward to.’
