Stunt casting is a growing trend to encourage more ticket sales for theatre or movies as Cheryl demonstrates

Cheryl, known for her singing in Girls Aloud and reality TV judging work, has rebranded once more to play the lead role in a Lyric Theatre production, 2:22 A Ghost Story.

In the play, Cheryl plays a housewife named Jenny who becomes convinced of supernatural activity in her home.

The singer is reportedly set to pocket one of the biggest fees in West End history, with sources claiming she'll earn £750,000 for four months work on the play.

Cheryl signed up for the role despite having little acting experience, and bosses are hoping that she will boost ticket sales.

The production has relied heavily on what's known as stunt casting; where a celebrity, often with little or no acting experience, is given a role in order to sell tickets. Before Cheryl took on the role, the character of Jenny was played by Lily Allen, Laura Whitmore and Giovanna Fletcher - all of whom are not known for an acting career.

Judging by early reviews from theatre-goers who were in the audience for her debut performance, Cheryl is doing a great job.

Online reaction claimed that Cheryl packed a 'punch' and performed without a single 'stutter or stumbles', while her jokes also reportedly landed well, as the cast received a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Speaking about her role with MailOnline ahead of her debut, Cheryl said: "A few people have said they wouldn't expect this from me. But for me it doesn't feel that far removed.

"I think we like people to be in their little box where we know where to find them and we know what we're going to expect. And when someone does something different, you're like, 'Oh'.

"But for me it feels like a natural progression, if you like, the next step."

There are many other examples over the years of stunt casting.

Larry David, the creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, one of the most offensively hilarious sitcoms of all-time, featured in a show that could be seen as the polar opposite.

David starred in an episode of Hannah Montana where he plays his typical self and ends up arguing with a restaurant host. Why he did it is still a mystery. Anybody who watches Curb knows that David doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. The fact his daughter is in the scene with him means that he probably did it for her.

Quentin Tarantino, director of Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has not been someone to grace our screens.

But he was also a big fan of JJ Abrams’ Alias, to which the creator responded by giving the controversial director a role of his own. Tarantino actually has a big role and his own arc in a two-part episode, as he plays an SD-6 agent gone rogue.

Britney Spears, singer extraordinaire, has tried her hand at acting in the 2003 movie Crossroads. It has mixed reviews, ranging from people praising Britney for her first-time acting role to others who say it is a poor performance. Only one way to find out. Watch it for yourself...