Stepping into an iconic role is a huge moment for any actress, but Vivian Panka says her latest casting is "monumental". The 29-year-old is the first black actress to play Regina George full-time in the UK stage production of Mean Girls, according to the musical's production team. She's been starring in the adaptation of the beloved film on its current UK and Ireland tour, taking up the stage role previously filled by actresses including Reneé Rapp. "I always wanted to play Regina, but I didn't expect it to happen the way it did, and I'm feeling very lucky that it did happen," says Panka. BBC Newsbeat met the 29-year-old during her most recent run of shows at Cardiffs' Wales Millennium Centre, where she shared Regina's bright pink (duh) wardrobe, showed us the infamous burn book and discussed bringing one of the most famous fictional school cliques to life on-stage. "It's one of my favourite shows in the world anyway, and one of my dream roles, being able to play [Regina George] is a dream come true." Vivian was born in Holland and moved to London four years ago to pursue musical theatre. Her first show in the UK was 9 to 5 The Musical, followed by Heathers the Musical and Dear Eva
Mar 18, 2026 → Mar 18, 2026
Stepping into an iconic role is a huge moment for any actress, but Vivian Panka says her latest casting is "monumental". The 29-year-old is the first black actress to play Regina George full-time in the UK stage production of Mean Girls,…
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Stepping into an iconic role is a huge moment for any actress, but Vivian Panka says her latest casting is "monumental". The 29-year-old is the first black actress to play Regina George full-time in the UK stage…
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Stepping into an iconic role is a huge moment for any actress, but Vivian Panka says her latest casting is "monumental". The 29-year-old is the first black actress to play Regina George full-time in the UK stage production of Mean Girls,…
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