Bio
Samantha Peo is a South African musical theatre actress, singer and dancer best known as one of the judges of the SABC3 reality competition series Strictly Come Dancing.
Prior to her work on Strictly Come Dancing she was well known for her roles in such musical theatre productions as Crazy For You, Chicago and Cabaret.
Sam was born in Durban but spent most of her childhood in Johannesburg. She owes her passion for the stage and more specifically, musical theatre, to her mom for introducing her to the world of Movie Musicals at an early age.
She has been cast in the leading roles in many of the main musical theatre productions that have toured across South Africa. Some of those musicals have included Joseph, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Snow White, Grease, A Chorus Line, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Wizard of Oz, Crazy For You, West Side Story and Blues Brothers.
She ahs found success in such roles as Roxie Hart in Chicago (Fleur Du Cap nomination and Naledi Award for Best Actress in a Musical), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Naledi Award nomination), Brooke Daniels in Popcorn and Giullietta Trappani in Aspects of Love.
She has performed in children's theatre, cabarets, revues, television commercials, cover bands, guest spots in a few local television series, training videos and is one the most familiar faces on stages in corporate theatre productions, awards evenings and product launches in the country.
She has appeared as a guest/solo artist in concerts with symphony orchestras country wide (J.P.O, J.F.O, E.C.P.O), including The Polo Invitational 2010, various Women's day, Mother's day and Valentine's day concerts, Picnics in the Park at Emmarentia Lake and East London and appeared in the Starlight classics in 2007.
She has also worked onboard an American cruise liner, performed in Miami, the Seychelles, Dubai, and spent a year in London furthering her skills.