Leanne Dobinson

Leanne Dobinson (born 15 June 1986 in Barking, London, England) is an English singer and was a contestant on the BBC1 show, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? which sought to find the leading lady for the new Andrew Lloyd Webber-produced version of The Sound of Music that will open in the West End in autumn 2006. She was voted out in the fourth round of the show on Saturday 2 September 2006 so did not play the part of Maria von Trapp. However Lloyd Webber advised her to keep training to be a singer as she has a lot of talent.

Background

Dobinson was born in Barking and has been singing since she was young and has had little formal training. She attended The Sandon School in Chelmsford, Essex from 1997 before studying music at the Colchester Institute in 2002. After being inspired by a Lesley Garrett television show she taught herself how to sing in Italian, French, German and Latin after borrowing some CDs from a library.

Although Dobinson played the role of Cosette in Les Misérables in the West End.^[1]

She took part in about ten local talent competitions between the ages of 9 to 15, the biggest was the Haven Stars of Tomorrow National Finals, which she won.

In 2006 she was working as an Assistant Manager in a ladies clothes shop until one week before her first audition for Maria.

Following her appearance on "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" within weeks she was cast in the lead role of Snow White in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs performed at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. She performed alongside West End favourite Marti Webb, who played the Wicked Queen. After Snow White she was given the role of Flo Simpson in Make Do And Mend at The Theatre Royal Nottingham. Since Make Do And Mend she has been having lessons in acting, dancing and singing. She made her West End debut as Cosette in Les Misérables at The Queens Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on 23 June 2008, where she remained until June 2009

Since leaving Les Misérables, Leanne has been invited to perform at various performances, include The O2 Arena celebration of Les Misérables. For the past year or so, Leanne took some time out to focus on her personal life and start a family.

References