Career
Hughes’ first principal theatre role was in The Who"s Tommy, playing the Acid Queen at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1996. She followed this up by playing Donna Douglas in The Goodbye Girl at the Albery Theatre, and then Lola in Damn Yankees at the Adelphi Theatre, playing opposite Jerry Lewis. From 1998 to 1999, Hughes starred as Velma Kelly in the West End revival of Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, taking up the role from Ute Lemper.
Her most recent West End performance was playing Bess in Sir Trevor Nunn"s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, between November 2006 and June 2007, for which she was again nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Other theatre roles have included Yum Yum in The Hot Mikado at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. Bloody Mary in South Pacific at the Grange Park Opera.
Follow My Leader, a satirical political revue written by Alistair Beaton, at the Birmingham Representative and the Hampstead Theatre. Zarita in Simply Heavenly at the Young Victoria
The Lady in Blues In The Night at the Birmingham Republican
Ain"t Misbehavin" at Derby Playhouse. Helene in Sweet Charity at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Notes Across a Small Pond at the Bridewell Theatre. In the summer of 2014, Hughes again played the role of Bess in Porgy and Bess, this time at the Regent"s Park Open Air Theatre, London.
The production ran from 17 July to 23 August.
