Frances Mayli McCann
Born14 September 1989
Bishopbriggs, Scotland
Years active2009–present
SpouseChristopher Chung

Frances Mayli McCann (born 14 September 1989) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her work in theatre. She is the recipient of Laurence Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award nominations.

Early life

McCann was born and raised in Bishopbriggs, a suburb of Glasgow, to a Hong Kong mother and a Scottish-Irish father.[1] McCann attended Turnbull High School.[2] She was a dancer and gymnast from the age of four. After discovering acting and singing, she auditioned for and joined the Glasgow Academy Musical Theatre Arts (now GPRO), graduating in 2009.[3]

Career

McCann reportedly first appeared on television in the 2000s CBBC series Against All Odds as Melissa and the BBC Scotland soap opera River City as Mia. She was also a finalist on CITV's Britannia High. In 2009, she was cast in a tour of the music show Highland Heartbeat.[4] She guest starred in a 2010 episode of the BBC Three series Lip Service.

In 2011, McCann made her West End debut as a diva in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre. She returned to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert for its 2013 tour around the UK, this time as Cynthia.

McCann originated the role of Kylah in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, a stage adaptation of Alan Warner's novel The Sopranos in the play's 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival premiere.[5] She took the character on tour later that year, to the National Theatre in 2016, and to the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre in 2017.[6] McCann and the rest of the cast were jointly nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 2019, McCann had a recurring role as Niki in the fifth series of Shetland on BBC One. She also had a small role in Evita at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. She began playing Éponine on a tour of Les Misérables, but it was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] In 2021, McCann appeared in the world premiere of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at MAST Mayflower Studios in Southampton, as well as productions at the Royal Court[8] and Almeida Theatre, and played Heather McNamara in the West End revival of Heathers: The Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.[9]

In February 2022, it was announced McCann would star as the titular Bonnie Parker in the original West End cast of Bonnie & Clyde opposite Jordan Luke Gage as Clyde Barrow. The show's original run took place in spring 2022 at the Arts Theatre.[10] For her performance, McCann was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award. In November 2022, it was announced Bonnie & Clyde would return to the West End in March 2023 at the Garrick Theatre with McCann and Gage reprising their roles.[11] McCann also appeared in the second series of the CBBC tween science fiction series Silverpoint. She will play Misa in the London Palladium concert staging of Death Note: The Musical.

Personal life

McCann is married to Australian actor Christopher Chung. They had a traditional Chinese ceremony in Melbourne in 2020[12] followed by a western wedding at Bothy Glasgow in 2021.[13]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
200? Against All Odds Melissa
200? River City Mia
2010 Lip Service Shona 1 episode
2019 Shetland Niki 5 episodes (series 5)
2020 A Tale to Tell Sleeping Beauty Short film
2023 Silverpoint Charlotte Recurring role (series 2)

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Highland Heartbeat Tour
2009–2010 Aladdin Princess Jasmine King's Theatre, Glasgow
2011 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Diva Palace Theatre, London
2012 I Dreamed a Dream Nurse Theatre Royal, Newcastle
2013–2014 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Cynthia UK tour
2014 Here Lies Love Soloist National Theatre, London
2015 Little Shop of Horrors Audrey (cover) Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury
2015–2017 Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour Kylah Edinburgh Fringe Festival / UK tour / National Theatre / Duke of York's Theatre, London
2015–2016 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Snow White King's Theatre, Edinburgh
2018 The Great Wave Hana National Theatre, London[14][15]
Macbeth Gentlewoman
2019 Evita Péron's Mistress Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
2019–2020 Les Misérables Éponine UK tour
2021 Living Newspaper Royal Court Theatre, London
Rescuing One's Sister in the Wind and Dust Almeida Theatre, London
Heathers: The Musical Heather McNamara Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World Emmeline Pankhurst / Agent Fifi / Miss Johnson MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton
2022–2023 Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie Parker Arts Theatre / Garrick Theatre, London
2022 Chess: In Concert Svetlana Theatre Royal, Drury Lane[16]
2023 Death Note: The Musical Misa Amane Concert; London Palladium
Peter Pan Wendy Darling

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2017 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour Nominated [17]
2023 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Performer in a Musical Bonnie & Clyde Nominated [18]

References

  1. ^ "Launching soon on CV's 1 year anniversary!". Creative Voices UK (Podcast). 13 June 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ^ Macleod, Eilidh (22 July 2010). "Bishopbriggs local chosen to star in spectacular Highland Heartbeat production". Denvir. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  3. ^ Cheesman, Neil (28 April 2011). "Interview with Frances Mayli McCann". London Theatre. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Young Scots are off to entertain old west". Glasgow Times. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. ^ Worthington, Amy (6 June 2017). "We spoke to actress Frances Mayli McCann about the riotous show Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour". The National Student. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  6. ^ Cooke, Rachel (30 April 2017). "Foul-mouthed Scottish schoolgirls get ready to hit the West End". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. ^ "The Corona Diaries: Frances Mayli McCann". Pocket Size Theatre. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Frances Mayli McCann". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Frances Mayli McCann in Bonnie & Clyde The Musical". West End Theatre. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  10. ^ Gans, Andrew (20 February 2022). "Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage Will be Bonnie and Clyde in London Bow of Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  11. ^ Wood, Alex (7 November 2022). "Jordan Luke Gage and Frances Mayli McCann to return for West End Bonnie and Clyde". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  12. ^ Frances Mayli McCann (11 January 2020). "My big fat Chinese wedding🎎". Retrieved 21 February 2023 – via Instagram.
  13. ^ Frances Mayli McCann (23 September 2021). "Mr and Mrs Chung". Retrieved 21 February 2023 – via Instagram.
  14. ^ "Frances Mayli McCann". National Theatre. November 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Frances Mayli McCann". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  16. ^ Wild, Stephi (10 June 2022). "Joel Harper-Jackson, Frances Mayli McCann and Ako Mitchell Join the Cast of CHESS THE MUSICAL in Concert". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Olivier awards 2017: full list of nominations". The Guardian. 2017-03-06. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  18. ^ Wood, Alex (8 December 2022). "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

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