Lauren Samuels | |
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Born |
Lauren Bonner[1] 26 March 1988 |
Occupation | actress, singer |
Years active | 2010–present |
Website | |
Page at BBC |
Lauren Samuels (born 26th March 1988) is an English singer/actress and was a contestant on the 2010 BBC UK TV series Over the Rainbow. Since appearing on the show she has gone on to appear in West End theatre, including playing the lead role of Sandy in Grease.
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Samuels was born Lauren Bonner. She took the stage name "Lauren Samuels" after her older brother, Samuel.[2]
Samuels was born with a condition that seriously affected her hearing, causing her to have to wear two hearing aids. However, her hearing completely returned to normal at the age of 18.[3]
Samuels started ballet lessons at the age of two, began private tutorials at the Hinckley Speech and Drama Studio at seven and started singing lessons at thirteen.[3]
Samuels studied BTEC National Diploma Performing Arts at Stratford-upon-Avon College[4] and also studied at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 2009.[5]
Samuels was a contestant on the 2010 BBC show Over the Rainbow: a talent contest to find an actress to play Dorothy in a West End revival of The Wizard of Oz. Samuels made it through to the final eleven girls who would compete for the public vote through individual performances. Despite coming in the bottom two for votes on three occasions, Samuels made it through to the final, where she ultimately came third to runner-up Sophie Evans and winner Danielle Hope.
Solo Song | |
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Week one (03/04/10) | "Run" (Snow Patrol)[6] |
Week two (10/04/10) | "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (from Promises, Promises)[7] |
Week three (17/04/10) | "Sway" (Dean Martin)[8] |
Week four (24/04/10) | "Nobody Knows" (Pink)[9] |
Week five (01/05/10) | "The Man that Got Away" (from A Star Is Born)[10] |
Week six (08/05/10) | "Being Alive" (from Company)[11] |
Week seven (semi-final) (15/05/10) | "Heaven" (Bryan Adams)[12] |
Week eight (final) (22/05/10) | "I Could Have Danced All Night" (from My Fair Lady)[13] |
Samuels, along with the other two finalists of Over the Rainbow, recorded a version of "Over the Rainbow" with the intention of the eventual winner's song being made available for purchase shortly after the finale. Hope's recording was originally the only version released, but both Evans' and Samuels' versions of the song were ultimately made available for download on 6 June 2010.
Samuels also appears with the other contestants in a Wizard of Oz medley featured as a b-side on the CD single of Hope's "Over the Rainbow."[14]
Samuels' first major stage role was playing Wendy in a 2009/10 production of Peter Pan at the Curve, Leicester.[15]
On 26 July 2010, Samuels made her West End debut as Sandy in the London production of Grease, replacing Siobhan Dillon.[16]
Samuels played the role of Cathy in a production of the two-character musical The Last Five Years, which ran at the Tabard Theatre, Chiswick from 9 February to 5 March 2011.[17]
Samuels will play the role of Scaramouche in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre in London from late 2011.[18]
Samuels is dating West End performer Warren Sollars,[19] who currently features in the London production of Mamma Mia!.
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