Ben Richards is to join the previously announced Beverley Knight in the West End return of The Bodyguard, a stage version of the celebrated 1992 film that originally featured the late Whitney Houston. It will begin performances July 15 at the Dominion Theatre for a six-month run through January 7, 2017.

Richards will play Frank Farmer, who is appointed bodyguard to protect singer Rachel Marrow from an unknown stalker. He can currently be seen in TV's Hollyoaks playing Sergeant Ben Bradley, a role he has been playing for just over a year. Previously on television, he played Nate Roberts in The Bill, Bruno Milligan in Footballer's Wives as well as roles in Doctors and Holby City.

He has appeared frequently on stage, starring in the West End in Guys and Dolls (playing Sky Masterson in Michael Grandage's production at the Piccadilly Theatre), Grease (Danny Zuko at the Victoria Palace), Saturday Night Fever (Tony Manero at the London Palladium), The Full Monty (Jerry Lukowski at the Prince of Wales Theatre) and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Tick at the Palace Theatre).

The cast also features Rachel John (Nicki Marron), Carole Stennett (alternate Rachel Marron), Mark Holden (Bill Devaney), Alex Andreas (Tony), Dominic Taylor (Sy Spector), Matthew Stathers (Stalker) and Glen Fox (Ray Court). At Monday evening and Wednesday matinee performances the role of Rachel Marron will be played by Carole Sennett. Ensemble members are Omari Bernard, Faye Best, Pablo Ceresuela Torres, Carlos Ugarriza Crespo, Lisa Darnell, Charles Hagerty, Emma Joy Hopkins, Ibinabo Jack, Christopher Jeffers, Verity Jones, Annie Kitchen, Phoebe Liberty, Raul Naranjo Garcia, Mary Lynn Tiep, Michael Wade-Peters, Matthew Wesley, Emmy Willow and Mark Willshire.

To book tickets and for further details, visit thebodyguardmusical.com.