Hairspray

In a career spanning three decades Brian Conley has appeared in award-winning West End musicals and sit-coms, presented his own chat shows, recorded three albums and completed a number of sell-out tours of the UK. Born and raised in West London Brian studied Performing Arts at The Barbara Speake Stage School and at the age of 16 hit the road, making a living performing cabaret in nightclubs. After appearances on Five Alive and Live from the Palladium Brian was asked to present – and hosted two series of Brian Conley – This Way Up followed by four series of The Brian Conley Show, both for ITV.

Television: Brian’s television comedy roles include two series of the British Comedy Award series Time after Time (British Comedy Award for Best ITV Sitcom) and the role of ‘Doug ‘Dynamo’ Digby’, starring opposite Amanda Holden, Nigel Planer and Noddy Holder in ITV’s cult hit The Grimleys. Other television appearances include roles in Last of the Summer Wine; The Cruise and the Jennifer Saunders comedy The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle.

Brian has also presented The National Lottery Show Live; hosted two series of Let Me Entertain You (BBC); starred in his own An Audience With... and hosted the Royal Variety Performance as well as regular appearances on the BBC’s Grumpy Old Men.

Theatre: In the West End Brian starred as ‘Caractacus Potts’ in Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang! (London Palladium) and originated the role of ‘Al Jolson’ in the Olivier Award winning Jolson (Victoria Palace Theatre). He appeared in the hit comedy Elton John’s Glasses at the Queen’s Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue and starred as ‘Bill Snibson’ in Me and My Girl for a year at the Adelphi Theatre. In 2008 Brian starred as ‘Harold Hill’ in the sell out run of The Music Man at the Chichester Festival Theatre for which he won Best Performance in a Musical at the Theatrical Management Association Awards.

Brian has recorded three albums, Stage to Stage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Let The Good Times Roll and Brian Conley Sings.

Film: Brian has starred in Circus with John Hannah and Eddie Izzard; Unconditional Love alongside Kathy Bates; Dream with Sinead Cusack; Arthur’s Dyke with Pauline Quirk; I Am Bob with Sir Bob Geldof and joined Sean Bean and Christian Bale in the cult film Equilibrium.

Brian has won numerous awards including The National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer and Show Business Personality of the Year. He was presented with the Big Red Book when featured on This is Your Life and has addressed the Oxford Union.

In 2009 Brian starred in Hairspray after a sell out tour of the UK with The Best of Brian Conley and now returns to the cast in 2010, having appeared as ‘Buttons’ in Cinderella in December.

Brian lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Anne-Marie, their two daughters Amy and Lucy and Maisy the dog. His hobbies include trying to park his car in the West End.

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