Soul Singer Beverley Knight to Replace Tony Winner Heather Headley in London’s The Bodyguard

All hail the new Queen of the Night, Beverley Knight. The award-winning British soul singer will replace Tony winner and Olivier Award nominee Heather Headley this September in the big-budget West End musical The Bodyguard. The show, which has extended its booking through March 8, 2014, will also welcome Tristan Gemmill (BBC’s Casualty) in the title role. Headley is expected to play her final performance as superstar Rachel Marron on August 11, and will star in the upcoming Broadway production in 2014-2015, according to The Daily Mail.

In The Bodyguard former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer (Gemmill), is hired to protect pop star Rachel Marron (Knight) from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. The Bodyguard features some of Whitney Houston’s greatest hit songs including “Queen of the Night,” “Saving All My Love,” “Run to You,” “I Have Nothing,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Known as the Queen of British Soul, Knight has sold over a million albums in the U.K., scoring several top 10 hits and four gold certified albums. Knight has released six studio albums to date and her hit singles will include “Greatest Day,” “Get Up!” and “Come as You Are.” She appeared on BBC One’s Just the Two of Us and performed at London’s 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. The Bodyguard will mark her West End Debut.

Gemmill is best known as Dr. Adam Trueman from the long-running BBC medial drama Casualty. His additional television credits also include London’s Burning, Distant Shores, Strictly Confidential and Cape Wrath. He has appeared onstage in productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Dangerous Corner, Design For Living and Henry V for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Check out Knight performing Houston’s hit “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” live in concert.