Frances Mayli McCann

Frances Mayli McCann is a Scottish actress. Known for her work in theatre, she is the recipient of Laurence Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award nominations. Her roles include Bonnie Parker in Bonnie & Clyde and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.

Early life and education Frances Mayli McCann was born and raised in Bishopbriggs, a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, to a Hong Kong mother and a Scottish-Irish father. She was a dancer and gymnast from the age of four.

She attended Turnbull High School. After discovering acting and singing, she auditioned for and joined the Glasgow Academy Musical Theatre Arts (now GPRO), graduating in 2009. She guest starred in a 2010 episode of the BBC Three series Lip Service.

In 2011, McCann made her West End debut as a diva in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre. She returned to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert for its 2013 tour around the UK, this time as Cynthia.

McCann originated the role of Kylah in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, a stage adaptation of Alan Warner's novel The Sopranos in the play's 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival premiere. She took the character on tour later that year, to the National Theatre in 2016, and to the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre in 2017. McCann and the rest of the cast were jointly nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 2019, McCann had a recurring role as Niki in the fifth series of Shetland on BBC One. She also had a small role in Evita at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. She began playing Éponine on a tour of Les Misérables, but it was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, McCann appeared in the world premiere of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at MAST Mayflower Studios in Southampton, as well as productions at the Royal Court and Almeida Theatre, and played Heather McNamara in the West End revival of Heathers: The Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

In February 2022, it was announced McCann would star as the titular Bonnie Parker in the original West End cast of Bonnie & Clyde opposite Jordan Luke Gage as Clyde Barrow. The show's original run took place in spring 2022 at the Arts Theatre. For her performance, McCann was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award. Bonnie & Clyde would return to the West End in March 2023 at the Garrick Theatre with McCann and Gage reprising their roles. Also in 2023, McCann appeared in the second series of the CBBC tween science fiction series Silverpoint, played Misa in the London Palladium concert staging of Death Note: The Musical, and returned to River City in the role of Chloe Qi-Lewis.

In February 2025, it was announced she'd star as Daisy Buchanan opposite Jamie Muscato in the European premiere of The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum.

Personal life McCann married Australian actor Christopher Chung in a traditional Chinese ceremony in Melbourne in 2020, followed by a western wedding at Bothy Glasgow in 2021.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 200? Against All Odds Melissa 200? River City Mia 2010 Lip Service Shona 1 episode 2019 Shetland Niki 5 episodes (series 5) 2020 A Tale to Tell Sleeping Beauty Short film 2023 Silverpoint Charlotte Recurring role (series 2) 2023–2025 River City Chloe Qi-Lewis 2024 Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical - Recorded Live on Stage Bonnie Parker Filmed version of concert production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane 2024 Sister Boniface Mysteries Sylvia Melbury Episode: "How to Murder a Tune"

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2009 Highland Heartbeat Tour 2009–2010 Aladdin Princess Jasmine King's Theatre, Glasgow 2011 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Diva Palace Theatre, London 2012 I Dreamed a Dream Nurse Theatre Royal, Newcastle 2013–2014 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Cynthia UK tour 2014 Here Lies Love Soloist National Theatre, London 2015 Little Shop of Horrors Audrey (cover) Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury 2015–2017 Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour Kylah Edinburgh Fringe Festival / UK tour / National Theatre / Duke of York's Theatre, London 2015–2016 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Snow White King's Theatre, Edinburgh 2018 The Great Wave Hana National Theatre, London Macbeth Gentlewoman 2019 Evita Péron's Mistress Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London 2019–2020Les Misérables Éponine UK tour 2020 Ensemble u/s Éponine Sondheim Theatre, London 2021 Living Newspaper Royal Court Theatre, London Heathers: The Musical Heather McNamara Theatre Royal Haymarket, London Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World Emmeline Pankhurst / Agent Fifi / Miss Johnson MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton 2022–2023 Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie Parker Theatre Royal, Drury Lane / Arts Theatre / Garrick Theatre, London 2022 Chess Svetlana Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 2023 Death Note: The Musical Misa Amane Concert; London Palladium Peter Pan Wendy Darling 2025 The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan London Coliseum

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Performer in a Musical Bonnie & Clyde