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Summer Strallen

Date of Birth: 1983, London

Location: London, England

Summer Strallen is a British actress who has performed various roles on stage and screen. She is currently portraying the role of Maria Von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium.

Strallen was born in London and has been singing since she was 6. She has three sisters, Saskia, Zizi and fellow actress Scarlett. Her parents, performers Sandy Strallen and Cherida Langford, both performed in the original London production of "Cats", but had met previous to this show. Cherida is sister to Bonnie Langford (also a member of the original production of Cats), making her Summer's aunt.

Summer graduated from the prestigious dance school Laine Theatre Arts. She has been involved in the West End productions of Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls and The Boyfriend. During the Christmas season of 2006 she played the title role in the pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat. More recently, she starred in The Drowsy Chaperone, alongside Elaine Paige. For her role in The Drowsy Chaperone Strallen was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Leading Actress in a musical. Strallen voiced the part of "Princess Lucy" in The Big Knights, a British animated children's television series.

It was announced on January 4, 2008 that Strallen would take over the role of "Maria" from Connie Fisher in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End revival of The Sound of Music, starting from February 26, 2008, with Aoife Mulholland as the alternate. As part of a publicity campaign, some months earlier on October 2, 2007, Strallen had been "planted" in the soap opera Hollyoaks as character Summer Shaw. The character's storyline eventually involved her auditioning for, and being awarded, the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Her character left Hollyoaks as Strallen debuted in the actual stage production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium on February 26, 2008.