Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

. She performed the role of Dot in ''

Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting ''A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande J ...

'' in the West End and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, receiving the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

nomination and the 2006

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for Best Actress in a Musical for her role. She has also appeared in several television series, including '' Born and Bred'' and ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

''.

Life and career

Russell was born in London, grew up in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

, and attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School. She has said she had a "tricky childhood". In 1985, Russell appeared as Matthew's girlfriend Christine in the ITV comedy '' Home to Roost''. Russell also sang the theme tune to the BBC sitcom, ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. ...

'', with her version of the song being used in all series of the show. Russell began her career as an understudy for Eponine and Fantine and later took over

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chi ...

in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for the first portion of her career. Plays there included '' The Beggar's Opera'' as Lucy Lockit in April 1992 and again in April 1993 at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...

. She also appeared in the RSC production of

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director o ...

's ''Wildest Dreams'' at the Barbican in December 1993. From 1990 to 1992 she played one of the lead characters, Maggie Lomax, in primetime BBC TV comedy '' On the Up''. She performed in three shows at The Bridewell Theatre: ''

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'' is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on ''Berkeley Square'', written in 1926 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been re ...

'' as Daisy (January 2000), '' Hello Again'' (March 2001) and a concert, ''The Cutting Edge'' in June 2000. Other stage work includes Samantha Lord in '' High Society'' at Sheffield Crucible, Young Sally in '' Follies'' at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1987, Bertrande in ''Martin Guerre'' at the West End's Prince Edward theatre (1998), Felicity in ''Landslide'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, and ''Three Sisters'' at the Royal Court. She left the cast of '' Songs for a New World'' during rehearsal to play Deborah Gilder in the television series '' Born and Bred'' in 2002 through 2005. In 2005 she appeared as the Floor Manager in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' episodes " Bad Wolf" and "

The Parting of the Ways "The Parting of the Ways" is the thirteenth episode and the season finale of the revived first series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 June 2005. It was the se ...

". Also in 2005, she played the lead role of Sarah Brown in the West End production of ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...

'' opposite (at various times) Ewan McGregor,

Nigel Harman Nigel Derek Harman (born 11 August 1973) is an English actor, best known for his role as Dennis Rickman in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He has worked mostly in theatre. He starred in the final series of '' Hotel Baby ...

, Sarah Lancashire, Jane Krakowski and Nigel Lindsay. She received a nomination for the 2006

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awa ...

for this role."Olivier Winners 2006"
officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2010 In 2006, she took over from Anna-Jane Casey as Dot/Marie in the London revival of ''

'', by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

for which she won the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical."Olivier Winners 2007"
officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2010 She subsequently played Amy alongside Felicity Kendal in the West End revival of the play ''

Amy's View ''Amy's View'' is a play written by British playwright David Hare. It premiered in London at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre on 13 June 1997, directed by Richard Eyre and starring Judi Dench, Ronald Pickup and Samantha Bond in ...

'' in 2006. In 2008, Russell reprised her role as Dot in the Broadway transfer of ''Sunday in the Park with George''. The production opened on 21 February 2008 and ran until 29 June 2008 at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater w ...

. Russell won the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

and received

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

and

nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, losing to

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...

.Gans, Andre
"August and Passing Strange Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards"
''Playbill'', 18 May 2008Jones, Kennet
"August, South Pacific, In the Heights, Boeing-Boeing, LuPone Are Tony Winners"
''Playbill'', 15 June 2008 In 2009 she appeared in the inaugural episode of the resurrected TV series '' Minder'' as Petra. Russell has appeared in ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' twice. For the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...

production in 1998, she played Cinderella. For the

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

in 2010, she played the role of the Baker's Wife. In August 2012, Russell took to the London stage again at the Soho Theatre in ''Soho Cinders''. She then played the role of Mary in

's '' Merrily We Roll Along'' at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End, following a run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. From February 2014 she appeared as Penelope Pennywise in the London production of '' Urinetown: The Musical'' at the St. James Theatre. She reprises the role for the West End production at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

from September 2014. In January 2016 she starred with

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and music ...

in the first UK production of ''

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...

'' at The Southwark Playhouse to sell-out audiences. In December 2016 she took over from previous actress Susan Tully in the role of Michelle Fowler in

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

soap-opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored b ...

''EastEnders''. In 2018 Russell decided to leave ''EastEnders'' to pursue other work. Her last appearance aired on Tuesday 17 April 2018. In September 2022, Russell led the cast in Alan Ayckbourn's ''Woman in Mind (December Bee?)'' at

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

Awards and nominations

Personal life

Russell is the partner of actor

Raymond Coulthard Raymond Anthony Coulthard (born 3 September 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for portraying Alasdair Sinclair in ''Emmerdale'' and restaurant manager James Schofield in '' Hotel Babylon''. Career Coulthard's television appearances i ...

, and they are the parents of a girl. Russell revealed that she was in the early stages of her pregnancy when she appeared in ''Sunday in the Park with George'' on Broadway.Dunn, Carri
"BWW Interviews: 'Into The Woods' Jenna Russell"
westend.broadwayworld.com, 20 July 2010

References

Bibliography

Broadway.com interview, 21 February 2008

Official London Theatre interview, 21 February 2006

External links

* *
Interview with Jenna Russell on Theatre.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Jenna 1967 births English television actresses English stage actresses English musical theatre actresses Royal Shakespeare Company members English Shakespearean actresses Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people English soap opera actresses Theatre World Award winners