23 Facts About Stephanie Lawrence

Stephanie Lawrence was a British musical theatre actress.

Stephanie Lawrence was born in 1949 on Hayling Island, Hampshire, England.

Stephanie Lawrence's father was a Welsh singer and her mother, Gladys Kent, was a classically trained dancer who later formed a children's dance troupe, the Kent Babes.

Stephanie Lawrence became a member of the corps de ballet at the Royal Festival Ballet at the age of 12 with the intention of becoming a ballerina her plans were disrupted when she was forced to miss a year after contracting pneumonia aged 15.

In 1980, Lawrence was cast as the alternate to Marti Webb as Eva Peron in the musical Evita, written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Stephanie Lawrence subsequently graduated from alternate to main performer in 1981.

Stephanie Lawrence was then cast as Pearl, the principal female role, in the original London production of Starlight Express, in which she performed on roller-skates.

Stephanie Lawrence appeared in a musical version of The Blue Angel at the Bristol Old Vic, in which she played the character of Lola-Lola, made famous by Marlene Dietrich in the movie of the same name.

Stephanie Lawrence sang the song 'Special kind of Hero' in the 1986 FIFA World Cup Film giving tribute to one of the all-time greats of football, Diego Maradona.

In 1986, Stephanie Lawrence took on her first dramatic part as Doris in The Owl and the Pussycat touring with Peter Davison.

In 1990, Stephanie Lawrence took the role of Mrs Johnstone in the revival of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers.

Stephanie Lawrence played the role for three years, first at the Albery Theatre then subsequently the Phoenix Theatre in London, before moving to create the role in the original Broadway production at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.

Stephanie Lawrence was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut.

Stephanie Lawrence had to pull out of the production after suffering from exhaustion.

Stephanie Lawrence was cast in the role of Grizabella in Cats in the West End in 1998.

In 1987, Stephanie Lawrence was cast as Frannie in the film Buster, opposite Phil Collins, Julie Walters and Larry Lamb.

Stephanie Lawrence was briefly a member of the dance troupe Pan's People, during the late 1970s, long after the troupe had ceased performing on Top of the Pops.

Stephanie Lawrence portrayed Mary Magdalene in the ITV play Doubting Thomas in 1983.

In 1982, Stephanie Lawrence appeared in the BBC Two series The Vocal Touch, in an episode which was a showcase for her talents as a singer and actress.

Stephanie Lawrence was featured in an episode of Night Music on BBC One in 1983 and Six Fifty-Five on BBC Two during the same year.

Stephanie Lawrence appeared on Des O'Connor Tonight, Pete Sayers' Electric Music Show, The Two Ronnies, Wogan, It's Max Boyce, Pebble Mill at One and The Les Dawson Show.

Stephanie Lawrence died on 4 November 2000, aged 50, from liver disease.

Stephanie Lawrence was found by her husband at their London home.