This is an accepted version of this page Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a Manx actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008.

[4] She starred opposite Jonathan Bailey in the Disney Channel musical-comedy Groove High (2012–2013) and again, in the London revival of the musical The Last Five Years in 2016.

In December 2007, Barks represented the Isle of Man in the Maltese International Song Competition where she won the main prize of €2000 and the title of Best Foreign Singer.

[12][13][14] In 2008, Barks competed in I'd Do Anything in which she was one of the finalists in a search for a new, unknown lead to play Nancy in a West End revival of the British musical Oliver!.

[16] In week nine, Barks received the lowest number of public votes and so had to participate in the sing-off with Rachel Tucker.

Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Barks and eliminate Tucker saying, "Last night Cameron and I were both saying that we thought both of you would be fantastic Nancys and now here am I faced with this.

"[17] In the week leading up to the two part final on 31 May, the Nancy finalists posed for publicity pictures recreating some of Madonna's iconic images.

[19] Barks was then announced to play the lead role of Sally Bowles in the UK tour of Cabaret from 29 August 2008 to 11 July 2009.

[20] Barks performed alongside her I’d Do Anything cast-mates Sarah Lark and Jodie Prenger at the Theatregoers Choice Awards in February 2009.

[23] Barks, along with Wendy Craig and Jess Conrad, switched on the Christmas Lights in Windsor's town centre on 21 November 2009.

[24] Barks officially launched BreastHealth UK's new clinic at the Spire Thames Valley Hospital in Wexham on 27 November 2009.

[33] On 20 March, Barks performed in Stars of the West End Sing the Songs of Steven Luke Walker at Charing Cross Theatre.

Barks performed in a concert at the Battersea Barge in London on 21 August 2011, singing works by British composer/lyricists Laurence Mark Wythe, Grant Olding, Dougal Irvine and Tim Sutton.

[38] Barks recorded her voice for the series in April 2010, with live-action filming completed in Ireland a year and a half later in October 2011.

[5] During an interview in January 2011 Samantha said this of Groove High: "I play Zoe, one of the leads who is really sweet, but also a little feisty, she tells it like it is and doesn't take any rubbish from anybody.

[3] During filming for Les Misérables, Barks recorded the song "Defective" for the album Scott Alan Live which was released in December 2012.

[47] She left the show early in order to head to Los Angeles for rehearsals with fellow Les Mis co-stars for their cast performance at the Oscars on 24 February 2013.

[51] The same month, Barks took part in the one-night only 24 Hour Plays at the Broad Stage Theater in Santa Monica, California.

In late 2013, Barks starred as the romantic lead in Bitter Harvest, a film released in 2017, and co-starring Max Irons and Barry Pepper.

[53] In October 2013, Barks played the part of Jules in the private workshop production of a potential musical of Bend It Like Beckham with a score by Howard Goodall, lyrics by Charles Hart, and book by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges.

[58] In July 2015, Barks began rehearsing for the world premiere of Amélie, A New Musical at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California.

[61] In 2016, Barks and her Groove High co-star Jonathan Bailey reunited as the leads in Off-West End production of The Last Five Years at St. James Theatre from 27 October to 3 December 2016.

She joined director Jason Robert Brown again for a one-off concert of his musical, Honeymoon in Vegas, at the London Palladium on 12 March 2017, starring alongside Arthur Darvill.

The show will follow the search for two musical theatre performers to play the roles of Sophie and Sky in Mamma Mia!