Strictly Come Dancing’s reigning champion and former Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach is set to swap the Mambo for murder this month as she sashays into Southend (in what will be her very first visit to Essex) to star in Cluedo 2- The Next Chapter…
Remember Cluedo? The game where there were six suspects with catchy names and a plethora of murder weapons and possible killing locations, was a staple of long winter afternoons during childhood.
Now the boardgame’s famous femme fatale that is Miss Scarlett is set to come to life in all her glamorous glory, thanks to the talented Ellie Leach.
Ellie, 23, is best known for playing Faye Windass in the ITV soap Coronation Street but she truly won the hearts of the nation last year after winning the glitterball trophy in Strictly Come Dancing along with dance partner Vito Coppola.
She will star opposite ex Heartbeat and Casualty actor Jason Durr who will be taking on the role of Colonel Mustard in the nationwide UK stage tour of Cluedo 2, a comedy play/ murder mystery based on the classic Hasbro boardgame.
Set in the sixties Cluedo 2 is hailed as “a rollicking spoof of a comedy”. Audiences can try to solve the puzzle of whodunnit as murders are committed and the bodies pile up.
We caught up with Ellie to see what the tour has in store…
Ellie, Cluedo 2 is your stage debut. Are you nervous?
Ellie: 'Yes, this is my first stage play and I am very excited to be playing Miss Scarlett. It is nerve-wracking as it’s something completely different to TV but I really want to push myself out of my comfort zone. A year ago, I would never have expected Strictly, then the Strictly arena tour and now Cluedo 2 to happen. I am so grateful as Miss Scarlett is such an iconic character to play.'
The play is set in the 1960s rock and roll era. Did you really get into the character of Miss Scarlett?
Ellie: 'At first, Miss Scarlet seems like butter won’t melt. She is an interior designer and she seems very unassuming. But as the play develops, well….. people may not be quite what they seem. Cluedo is, after all, a thriller and murder mystery game! Everyone can define who all the characters are. They are very distinctive.'
How has the experience of acting in a national theatre tour been so far?
Ellie: 'All the cast have welcomed me with such open arms. Thousands came to watch the Strictly tour and it did give me a sense of what it is like to perform in front of a live audience. It’s going to be also amazing to take on this new experience and do something different to TV, which is practically at the other end of the acting scale. Television is very naturalistic and on stage, everything happens a thousand times bigger. But that’s what is so exciting.'
You are from Manchester and the play is touring all across the UK. Will your family get to see you perform?
Ellie: 'My family can’t wait to come and watch me in this show. Obviously after going on tour with Strictly, I have now had experience of living out of a suitcase and what is great about this show is I am going to be going back to acting again. I was known for many years as Faye Windass and as amazing as that was, it was then nice for people to find out more about me and my personality on Strictly. Now it’s going to be great to transform myself into a new character. I love how Cluedo 2 is perfect for everyone in the family and it is lovely how, thanks partly now to The Traitors too, people really enjoy murder mysteries!'
Are you looking forward to coming to Southend? Have your heard about our world-famous pier?
Ellie: 'I’m really looking forward to coming to Southend and yes, I’ve heard about the pier. I’m really hoping that we will get time to visit it. I haven’t been to Essex before so this will be my first time.'
Cluedo 2- The Next Chapter, will be on at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend from September 17-21. Tickets £28-£49. CluedoStagePlay.com
