Charles Joe Stemp (born 30 November 1993) is an English actor. Stemp came to prominence for his leading role as Arthur Kipps in the West End musical '' Half a Sixpence'', which earned him a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical and nomination for a

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Early life and education

Stemp was born and raised in

Peckham Peckham ( ) is a district in south-east London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vi ...

, London. He attended the Belcanto London Academy Theatre School, and trained for three years at

Laine Theatre Arts Laine Theatre Arts, sometimes referred to as Laines, is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974 by former professional dancer and dance teacher Betty Laine OBE, an ...

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

. He is also a keen football and rugby player.

Acting career

After graduating, Stemp performed in ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...

'' in

London's West End The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, England, in the London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which ma ...

and was cast as Eddie in the international tour of the musical ''

Mamma Mia! Mamma mia (; an Italian interjection, literally "mommy mine"), Mammamia, Mamamia or Mumma Mia may refer to: Music Works associated with ABBA * "Mamma Mia" (ABBA song), a 1975 ABBA song * ''Mamma Mia!'' (musical), a stage play based on ABBA s ...

''. Stemp also appeared in the film ''Knarcolepsy''. Stemp appeared as the lead actor in Sir

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...

’s production of '' Half a Sixpence'', written by

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford (born 17 August 1949), known professionally as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, writer, producer, film director, and Conservative peer. He has received nume ...

. He first performed the role 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 ...

from July to September 2016. In October 2016, the musical transferred to the

Noël Coward Theatre The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's ...

in the West End, and extended its booking to 2 September 2017. For this role, Stemp won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and was nominated for the

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. In 2021, Fellowes rewrote the piece under the title ''Kipps'' (after the lead character Artie Kipps) and it was filmed for

Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, films, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...

, with Stemp again in the title role. Stemp appeared 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 Stre ...

in the revival of '' Hello, Dolly!'', starting on 20 January 2018, officially on 22 February 2018, as Barnaby Tucker. He took over the role originally played by

Taylor Trensch Taylor Hunt Trensch (born May 3, 1989) is an American stage and film actor. Early life and education Trensch was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended Howard W. Blake High School where he studied theatre under Eric Davis, James Rayfield, and Jen ...

. This marked his Broadway debut. The show closed on 25 August 2018. Stemp played the role of Bert in a West End revival of ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' opposite

Zizi Strallen Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen (born 1 November 1990), known professionally as Zizi Strallen, is a British actress, singer and dancer best known for playing Mary Poppins in the Cameron Mackintosh theatrical production of ''Mary Poppins''. ...

in the title role, at the

Prince Edward Theatre The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Mar ...

. As one reviewer remarked, "Bert pulls off the impossible – tap-dancing upside down from one end of the proscenium arch to the other." In 2022, Stemp was cast as Bobby Child in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of '' Crazy for You'' which transferred to the

Gillian Lynne Theatre The Gillian Lynne Theatre (formerly the New London Theatre) is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden in the London Borough of Camden. The Winter Garden Theatre occupied the site until 1965. On ...

in 2023. Stemp performed at the Royal Variety show in 2023. Stemp starred as Bill Calhoun in the West End revival of ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...

'' at the

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

, opposite

Stephanie J. Block Stephanie Janette Block (born September 19, 1972) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on the Broadway stage. Block made her Broadway debut in 2003, originating the role of Liza Minnelli in '' The Boy from Oz''. After read ...

and

Adrian Dunbar Adrian Dunbar (born 1 August 1958) is an Irish actor, director, and singer from Northern Ireland, known for his television and theatre work. He co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film '' Hear My Song'', nominated for Best Original Screenplay at t ...

. The production ran from 4 June to 14 September 2024.https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/kiss-me-kate Charlie Stemp portrayed Alan-a-Dale in the London Palladium's 2024–2025 annual holiday pantomime production of "Robin Hood." The show ran from 7 December 2024, to 12 January 2025, and featured a star-studded cast, including Julian Clary as Robin Hood, Jane McDonald as Maid Marion, Marisha Wallace as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Nigel Havers as Friar Tuck, Paul Zerdin as Will Scarlet, Rob Madge as the Spirit of Sherwood, and Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Little John. The production received positive reviews, with particular praise for its humor, extravagant costumes, and lively performances. One review highlighted Clary's comedic timing and Stemp's song-and-dance skills, noting that the show offered "great dances" and showcased Stemp as a "song and dance man of the old school."

Theatre Credits

Accolades

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stemp, Charlie 1993 births Living people British people of English descent Actors from the London Borough of Southwark English male actors Male actors from London English male musical theatre actors 21st-century English male actors Theatre World Award winners People from Peckham

Early life and education

Acting career

Theatre Credits

Accolades

See also

References