Ashleigh Gray

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Ashleigh Gray is a British musical theatre performer who has worked on UK tours and is currently appearing in the London production of Wicked.

1 Early life
2 Career
3 References
4 Links

[edit] Early life

Gray was born in Fife, Scotland and educated at Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith.^[1] In 2003, she graduated from the Guildford School of Acting, where the received Margaret Veale Award for Singing and the principals award for Musical Theatre. In 2001, Gray returned to Newbattle High School to give a talk to pupils, during which she was surprised by a TV crew and BBC TV star Jane McDonald who were filming her for a series called Star for a Night.^[2]

[edit] Career

In 2004, Gray made her professional début as Kim in the UK national tour of the Boy George musical Taboo. She was also a soloist in the concert, Notes from New York. Prior to this she played the role of Kirsty in Only You Can Save Mankind at the Edinburgh Festival. In 2006, she appeared in NHS the Musical at the Drum Theatre Plymouth and covered Rizzo and Jan in the UK national tour of Grease

In 2007, Gray performed the role of Emily in the European première of Myths and Hymns and again that year at the Finborough theatre. on 16 July 2007, she joined the ensemble of Wicked and is playing the role of Pfannee at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where she is also understudying the role of Elphaba. Gray performed her fist performance as Elphaba on the 6th February 2008 she continued the run for two further days. Starting June 9, Gray will replace Cassidy Janson as the standby for the role of Elphaba. On June 10, it was announced that Gray will become the new West End Elphaba at the start of 2009. She will begin performances on January 5. She will be replacing Kerry Ellis.

Gray has also been part of the Notes from New York series including shows at the Trafalgar studios. On 9 December 2007 she also appeared in the Christmas version of the show Christmas in New York, at the Lyric Theatre, singing alongside Oliver Tompsett, Julie Atherton and Rachael Wooding. Grays songs included Grown up Christmas List and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with Oliver Tompsett.