Cleve September (born 15 October 1993) is a South African-born actor. He originated the role of John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in the West End production of ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

''. For his performance, he was nominated for

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and

WhatsOnStage Awards The WhatsOnStage Awards (WOS Awards), formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in UK theatre, with categories covering both regional p ...

. He also played Sonny in ''

In the Heights ''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of thr ...

''.

Early life and education

September was born in South Africa and moved to London at the age of 8. When he was younger, September was interested in sports, particularly basketball, rugby and sprint. September attended the

BRIT School BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology is a British performing and creative arts school located in Selhurst, Croydon, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, music, music technology, ...

. He went on to graduate from

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, formerly Mountview Theatre School, is a drama school in Peckham, south London, England, founded in 1945. Mountview Academy provides specialist vocational training in acting, musical theatre and actor musicians ...

in 2015 with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in Musical Theatre.

Career

Musical theatre

September made his professional debut in ''

'', playing the role of Sonny. The show started its run at the

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They ident ...

and September joined for its transfer to the

Kings Cross Theatre The Kings Cross Theatre was located at the corner of Darlinghurst Road and Victoria Street, Sydney, between 1916 and 1966. History The Kings Cross Theatre and opened on Friday 14 April 1916. The Theatre was managed by Waddigton's and boasted 200 ...

in 2015. Original cast included

David Bedella David Bedella (born September 25, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Jerry Springer: The Opera'', '' In The Heights'', and '' & Juliet''. He has won three Olivier Awards. Early life Bedella was born in Gary, India ...

as Kevin Rosario, Eve Polycarpou as Abuela Claudia,

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (born 8 May 1982) is an English actress and singer known primarily for her roles in musical theatre. She is a Grammy Award, two-time Laurence Olivier Award, and four-time WhatsOnStage Award nominee. Background Hamilto ...

as Daniela and Sam Mackay as Usnavi. The cast performed the song "96,000" at the

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

in 2016, where the show was nominated for Best New Musical. In 2016 September play the role of Tommy Keeler in the

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 1740 and drove the industrialisation of the city. ...

production of ''Annie Get your Gun'', with

Anna-Jane Casey Anna-Jane Casey (born 15 February 1972) is an English singer, dancer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Personal life Casey was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. Casey married fellow actor Graham MacDuff in 1998. The ...

in the title role. He was part of the ensemble in the summer production of ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'' at the

Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London, established in 1932. Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, the theatre now features a wide variety of performances, including musicals, ope ...

in 2017. The show opened at the Open Air Theatre in 2016 and returned the following year, after a US tour and a short indoor run at the

Barbican Theatre 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 an ...

. In 2018 September joined the cast of the UK premiere of ''Hamilton'' in the role of John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. For his performance he was nominated for the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2018 and the

WhatsOnStage Award The WhatsOnStage Awards (WOS Awards), formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in UK theatre, with categories covering both regional p ...

for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical in 2019. September joined the cast of ''Bonnie & Clyde'' as Ted Hinton at the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It opened on April 20, 1927. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre cen ...

in 2023. The production followed a successful concert run of the show with Jeremy Jordan as Clyde and

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 Gats ...

as Bonnie in 2022. In 2023 September will be playing the role of Will in ''The Little Big Things'', playing at Soho Place from September to November. The cast performed a few songs from the show at West End Live in June 2023.

Theatre credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Cleve September
at Spotlight
In the Heights London

Jesus Christ Superstar - Open Air Theatre

Bonnie & Clyde

The Little Big Things
{{DEFAULTSORT:September, Cleve Living people 1993 births 21st-century South African male actors Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Male actors from London Actors educated at the BRIT School South African expatriates in England South African male musical theatre actors South African male actors