Chart-topper Darius to play Billy in West End’s Chicago

Published Wednesday 19 October 2005 at 14:35 by Craig Wilmann

Pop Idol finalist Darius Danesh is to star in his first ever stage show later this year, taking the role of Billy Flynn in the West End musical Chicago.

Danesh, who had a No 1 single with Colourblind, will play the hotshot lawyer from November 21 for a limited eight week season alongside Sally Ann Triplett as Roxie Hart, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly and Victor McGuire as Amos Hart. The role has previously been played by David Hasselhoff, Marti Pellow and Sacha Distel.

The singer’s career began in 2001 as a contestant on ITV’s Popstars, where he delivered a memorable rendition of Britney Spear’s Hit Me Baby One More Time. He returned a year later on the TV show Pop Idol, where he finished in third place, and began a solo career spawning two best-selling albums, Dive In and Live Twice.

Chicago is now the Adelphi Theatre’s longest-running production, replacing Me and My Girl, the previous record-holder with a run of 3,303 performances.