At West End Best Friend, Saturday is the day we pick a performer who has been swing/understudy in a show so that we can celebrate their sheer talent and hard work.
October 2021
Lydia Fraser
Training: Guildford School of Acting.
Currently Standby “Eliza/Angelica/Peggy” in Hamilton west end
Theatre includes: A Comedy about a Bank robbery (The Criterion), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales), The Bodyguard (UK Tour), The Buddy Holly Story (UK Tour) Rent (Greenwich Theatre) Shawshank Redemption (Secret Cinema)
Television includes: Doctors (BBC One), Mister Mayfair (Netflix/Amazon Prime), Action Team (ITV 2), Murder in Successville (BBC Three).
Septemeber 2021
Matt Mills
Theatre credits include: Ensemble and understudy Berry Gordy in Motown The Musical (UK Tour), Ensemble and Drifters in Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), Newt Lee/Riley/Jim Conley in Parade (Hope Mill Theatre), Nomax in Five Guys Named Moe (Edinburgh), Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (Durham Cathedral), Imagination in Wind Road Boys (Sunderland Empire, Northern Tour), Horse in The Full Monty (Bradford Playhouse), Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (CarriageWorks), Niko in You Forgot the Mince (Bradford Playhouse), Michael in Life at The Sharp Edge (Theatre in Blu) and Dancer in Reason (North Wall Arts).
Television credits include: Don’t Stop Believing (Channel 5) and Waterloo Road (BBC).
Other work includes: Backing Dancer for Alexandra Burke, Nile Rogers and Craig David.
August 2021
Dawn Williams
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Currently: Swing in Matilda (Cambridge Theatre)
Musical Theatre Credits include; Swing & u/s Miss Honey (UK Tour of Matilda 2018/19) Swing & u/s Flo in Half a Sixpence (Noel Coward Theatre 2017), Ensemble & u/s Lisa in Mamma Mia (UK Tour 2016), Baby Bear & u/s Teen Fiona in Shrek (UK Tour 2015), Rumpleteazer in Cats (UK/European tour and London Palladium 2014), Jemima and u/s Rumpleteazer in Cats (UK Tour 2013/14), Ensemble in Call me Madam (Union Theatre 2012)
Pantomime Credits; Wendy in Peter Pan (Venue Cymru 2012) QDOS Productions, Ensemble u/s Cinderella (Richmond Theatre 2011) First Family Productions
Other credits include; Sunday Night at the Palladium - 2014, Olivier Awards - 2013
July 2021
Natasha Agnew
Training: Laine Theatre Arts and Arts Educational Schools, London.
Currently in: Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre) Ensemble/Cover Lisa
Credits include: Pride at the Palace (Palace theatre), Dancer for Burberry (London Fashion Week).
June 2021
Adam Bailey
Training: The Brit School and Bird College
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Credits include: 1st cover KEVIN PRICE/MISSION PRESIDENT/Swing in THE BOOK OF MORMON (Prince of Wales Theatre, West End dir. Trey Parker/Casey Nicholaw), ALADDIN in ALADDIN (Wyvern Theatre, Swindon dir. Katherine Hare); MORGAN in World Premiere of DUSTY (National Tour dir. Maria Friedman); MUNKUSTRAP in CATS (South Korean Tour dir. Trevor Nunn); MULTIROLE in JEST END (Waterloo East dir. Garry Lake); MAN 1 in EDGES (The Cockpit dir. Simon Green); ADAM/FELICIA in PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT (National Tour dir. Simon Phillips); ESPRESSO cover RUSTY/ELECTRA/GREASEBALL in STARLIGHT EXPRESS (Starlight Halle, Germany dir. Arlene Phillips); MARY SUNSHINE in CHICAGO (Leicester Curve dir. Paul Kerryson); ALAN/1st cover PETER in BARE (Greenwich Theatre dir. Paul Taylor Mills); JOHNNY CASINO in GREASE (Ljubljana Festival, Slovenia dir. Mykal Rand); MARILYN in the London revival of TABOO (Brixton Clubhouse dir. Chris Renshaw); PRINCE CHARMING in CINDERELLA (Wyvern Theatre, Swindon dir. Richard Frost).
May 2021
Dujonna Gift
Training: The Brit School and Bird College
Credits include: Woman 5/Eliza, Angelica & Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds Radio 1 in ‘Caroline, or Change’ (Playhouse Theatre), Anna Gordy in ‘Motown: The Musical’ (Shaftesbury) and part of the virtual community in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ (Noel Coward Theatre). Film includes: Nostalgia.
Other work includes: "The X Factor," Blue Peter Book Awards and The BRIT Awards.
As well as an actor Dujonna is also a headshot and portrait photographer, you can find her work at:
April 2021
Rebecca Gilliland (Gilli)
Training: London School of Musical Theatre.
Theatre includes: ‘Ensemble’ and understudy ‘Elphaba’ and ‘Nessarose’ in WICKED (Apollo Victoria Theatre); ‘Lucilleʼ and understudy ‘Constance’ in The Clockmakerʼs Daughter (Cadogan Hall and The Landor Theatre); ‘Belleʼ in Beauty and the Beast (Loughborough Town Hall); ‘Rebeccaʼ in Just Another Love Story (Arts Theatre); ‘Lady Macbethʼ in Macbeth (international tour); ‘Emily Tallentireʼ in The Hired Man (Union Theatre); ‘Angharadʼ in My Landʼs Shore (Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre) and ‘Annaʼ in Seasons of Larson (Lyric Theatre).
Recordings include: The Clockmakerʼs Daughter (original cast); A Spoonful of Sherman (original cast) and Return of the Soldier (original concept album).
March 2021
George Arvidson
Training: Lamont School of Music and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Television: American Guy in Cuckoo Series 5 (BBC Three).
Film: Captain Chris Cordova in The Outpost (2019, Feature Film).
Theatre: Man 1 in The World Goes Round (The Barn Theatre, Cirencester); Bamatabois/Babet in Les Miserables (UK/European Tour); President/ Cabinet Minister & 1st Cover Peron in Evita (The Phoenix Theatre); President/ Cabinet Minister & U/S Peron in Evita (UK & European Tour); Billy Bigelow in Carousel (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Lionel Frush in Thark (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Sam Leadbitter in This Happy Breed (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Sam Leadbitter in This Happy Breed (Yvonne Arnauld Theatre (Tour)); Dmitri in Under the Ground (Assembly Checkpoint EdFringe); Bobby Strong in Urinetown (Assembly Hall EdFringe); Ensemble/Scooter in White Christmas (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Robert in The Drowsy Chaperone (The Aurora Fox); Riff in West Side Story (Seagle Music Colony); Ben in The Telephone (The Aurora Symphony)
February 2021
Nicole Louise
Training: Blackpool and The Fylde College. Credits whilst training include: ChaCha in Grease, Danielle in Bring It On and Hot Blades Harry in Urinetown.
Theatre includes: Lead vocalist for Tallink Cruise, lead vocalist for Alton Towers/Merlin Entertainment, Whitney Huston Tribute for Pop Up Productions and Leigh-Anne Pinnock in DivaMix - The Little Mix Tribute.
Other work includes: Stacey Newman in Sequins (Short Film).
She would like to thank her amazing friends and family for their constant support and wants to give a massive shout out to CLPA School.
November 2020
Courtney - Brogan Smalley
Training: Guildford School of Acting
Credits include: Cinderella in Cinderella (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham); Cover Lorraine & Andrea in Club Tropicana The Musical (UK tour); Cover Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray (UK tour); Dance Captain/ensemble in Mythic (Charing Cross Theatre).
Theatre whilst training: Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie; Dance Captain on Guys and Dolls; Forbidden Broadway; Dora Foster in Steel Pier.
Concerts: Singer in Olivier Awards 40th Anniversary Concert (Southbank & BBC Radio 3); Singer in Here's Where I Stand (Electric Theatre).
October 2020
Owen Chaponda
Training: Bird College
Credits include: Onstage Swing in Back To The Future The Musical ( Manchester Opera House), onstage Swing in The Color Purple (Leicester Curve & Birmingham Hippodrome) and Cover Simba/Swing in The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, West End).
September 2020
Sam Robinson
Sam graduated from Guildford School of Acting in 2013.
Theatre whilst training: Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar; Willard in Footloose; Steve Wilkos in Jerry Springer The Opera; Bazzard in The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Baron in Grand Hotel.
Theatre credits: Jumpy Malachi/cover Arnold in Happy Days: A New Musical (UK Tour); Eddie in Mamma Mia! (UK Tour); Swing/cover Dr Dillamond in Wicked (West End); Ensemble/cover Galileo and Khashoggi in We Will Rock You (UK Tour).
Other credits: Dancer in Scallywagga (ITV); Mark Cohen in a charity production of Rent raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity (Crescent Theatre, Birmingham).
Hall of Fame
Kristine Diaz
25.07.20
Jason Kajdi
18.07.2020
Manaia Glassey-Ohlson
27.06.2020
Jacob McIntosh
13.06.2020
Frankie Jones
30.05.2020
Shelby Farmer
16.05.2020
Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke
02.05.2020
Hollie Cassar
11.07.2020
Gillian Ford
27.06.2020
Samantha Lane
13.06.2020
Fred Smiley
30.05.2020
Joshua Da Costa
16.05.2020
Robbie Noonan
02.05.2020
Duncan Burt
18.04.2020
Billy Roberts
04.07.2020
Benjamin Mundy
20.06.2020
Perry O’Dea
06.06.2020
Matthew Churcher
23.05.2020
Rhys Owen
09.05.2020
Alex Okoampa
25.04.2020
Bradley Judge
11.04.2020
Rebecca Lafferty
20.06.2020
Rebecca Withers
06.06.2020
Rebecca Gilhooley
23.05.2020
Jess Shaw
09.05.2020
Amy West
25.04.2020
Victoria Hay
11.04.2020
Genevieve Nicole
18.04.2020