Kym Marsh, best known for her role as Michelle in the legendary British soap opera Coronation Street, has been announced as the iconic antagonist Cruella De Vil for the upcoming UK and Ireland tour of 101 Dalmatians. Marsh is no stranger to the stage after recently playing Annette in the London production of Saturday Night Fever.

Based on the classic children's tale by Dodie Smith, the production will be a reimagined version of the 2022 Regents Park production. With music from Tony and Olivier Award winner Douglass Hodge and adapted for the stage by playwright Zinnie Harris, the musical is set to premiere June 22nd at the New Wimbledon Theatre. After London the tour will then visit: Birmingham, Norwich, Canterbury, Leicester, Manchester, Belfast, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Southend, Dublin, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Woking, Cardiff, Southampton, Aberdeen, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford, and Brighton.

Kym Marsh released this statement following the recent casting announcement:

"I'm over the moon to be joining the cast of 101 Dalmatians playing the iconic Cruella De Vilhas there ever been a more fabulous baddie?! Obviously she's a million miles away from me in real lifeand my dogs are very glad about thatbut being able to bring to life my take on this renowned character is a real treat. Douglas [Hodge] and Johnny [McKnight] have written this brilliant new musical filled with songs I'm already finding myself humming under my breath. The 101 Dalmatians story spans generations and I'm sure young and old alike will absolutely love this production."

What Is The Story?

The story follows Pongo and Perdi a pair of delightfully spotted Dalmatians who live in London with their kind and caring owners the Dearlys. The only thing that makes their idyllic life better is the arrival of their 15 puppies, but their bliss is short-lived thanks to the machinations of their evil neighbour Cruella de Vil, the villain to end all villains. When she steals the pups for their fur, Pongo and Perdi take matters into their own paws and em-bark on a quest to rescue them.