Samantha Dorrance
Encyclopedia
Samantha Dorrance is a British
actor, singer and dancer from Willenhall
in the West Midlands
who reached fame on Disney Channel UK. She can currently be seen touring the UK and Ireland playing the part of Laura in Dreamboats and Petticoats
.
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
with her younger brother and parents. Samantha was home-schooled.
Since the age of 2, Samantha has been dancing and performing at numerous dance and acting schools in the West Midlands area, which lead to her dancing in pantomimes at both Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
& Stafford Garrick Theatre as well as performing in many amateur dramatic productions at several locations, including Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham and The Dormston Centre in Sedgley.
Television Programme, Blue Peter
, which saw her get through to the semi-final live on BBC1. http://www.samanthadorrance.com/about%20me.htm
In 2007, Samantha won the High School Musical
You're The Star! Competition on Disney Channel UK, after being voted by viewers. The prize for this was to have an all-expenses paid trip to London
to record a music video. This video resulted in her appearing on her regional ITV news programme, Central Tonight
. Her exceptional performance resulted in her being hand picked to audition for a role as presenter of the 2008 competition, My School Musical, which had a slightly different format. She was picked and presented the programme alongside Brad Kavanagh
.
In September 2009, Samantha successfully auditioned for the part of Wendy in the pantomime Peter Pan which was performed at the brand new Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire from December 2009 into January 2010. She performed alongside Emmerdale
star Matt Healy
who played Mr Darling and Captain Hook.
She took on the lead role of Cinderella at The Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury from December 2010 to January 2011.
Between February and April 2011 Sam played the part of Tracey in a brand new play by Alan Share called Death of A Nightingale at The New End Theatre in Hampstead, London and from now until December 2011 will be touring the UK and Ireland in the hit musical Dreamboats and Petticoats
playing the lead role of Laura.
She is in a relationship with Brad Kavanagh.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor, singer and dancer from Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
who reached fame on Disney Channel UK. She can currently be seen touring the UK and Ireland playing the part of Laura in Dreamboats and Petticoats
Dreamboats and Petticoats
Dreamboats and Petticoats is a jukebox musical based on popular songs from the fifties and early sixties. The musical, featuring those songs of the rock 'n' roll era, is set around the years 1957 to 1963 and was written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran....
.
Early life
Samantha lives in WillenhallWillenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district in the Black Country part of the West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills,...
with her younger brother and parents. Samantha was home-schooled.
Since the age of 2, Samantha has been dancing and performing at numerous dance and acting schools in the West Midlands area, which lead to her dancing in pantomimes at both Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand is a theatre located in Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton,UK, designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity of 1200.-1894 - 1939:...
& Stafford Garrick Theatre as well as performing in many amateur dramatic productions at several locations, including Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham and The Dormston Centre in Sedgley.
Career
Samantha has entered several dancing and singing competitions, including one for the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television Programme, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, which saw her get through to the semi-final live on BBC1. http://www.samanthadorrance.com/about%20me.htm
In 2007, Samantha won the High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
You're The Star! Competition on Disney Channel UK, after being voted by viewers. The prize for this was to have an all-expenses paid trip to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to record a music video. This video resulted in her appearing on her regional ITV news programme, Central Tonight
Central Tonight
Central Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Central, serving the English Midlands.-History:...
. Her exceptional performance resulted in her being hand picked to audition for a role as presenter of the 2008 competition, My School Musical, which had a slightly different format. She was picked and presented the programme alongside Brad Kavanagh
Brad Kavanagh
Brad Lewis Kavanagh is an English actor and singer-songwriter, originally from Whitehaven, Cumbria.-Acting career:Kavanagh made his acting debut in the West End in Billy Elliot the Musical as Billy's best friend, Michael, at the age of 11...
.
In September 2009, Samantha successfully auditioned for the part of Wendy in the pantomime Peter Pan which was performed at the brand new Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire from December 2009 into January 2010. She performed alongside Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
star Matt Healy
Matt Healy
Matt Healy is a Scottish actor, who grew up in Oldham, Lancashire. He is best-known for his role as Matthew King in the television soap series Emmerdale.-Background:...
who played Mr Darling and Captain Hook.
She took on the lead role of Cinderella at The Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury from December 2010 to January 2011.
Between February and April 2011 Sam played the part of Tracey in a brand new play by Alan Share called Death of A Nightingale at The New End Theatre in Hampstead, London and from now until December 2011 will be touring the UK and Ireland in the hit musical Dreamboats and Petticoats
Dreamboats and Petticoats
Dreamboats and Petticoats is a jukebox musical based on popular songs from the fifties and early sixties. The musical, featuring those songs of the rock 'n' roll era, is set around the years 1957 to 1963 and was written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran....
playing the lead role of Laura.
She is in a relationship with Brad Kavanagh.
Filmography
- 2007 - You're The Star Competition on Disney Channel UK, winner.
- 2008 - My School Musical on Disney Channel UK, presenter.
- 2008 - High School Musical 3 Movie Surfers, Disney Channel US, presenter.
- 2009/10 - Wendy in Peter Pan, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury.
- 2010/11 - Cinderella in Cinderella, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury.
- 2011 - Death of a Nightingale, New End Theatre, London.
- 2011 - Dreamboats & Petticoats (Laura), Bill Kenwright Ltd, Tour.