Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End debut in ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'' in 1987. A five-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of '' She Loves Me'' (1994). Henshall's other Olivier nominated roles are Polly Baker in the original London production of '' Crazy for You'' (1993–1994), Roxie Hart in the revival of ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' (1997–1998) and the title roles in the original productions of '' Peggy Sue Got Married'' (2001) and '' Marguerite'' (2008). She made her Broadway debut in 1999 as Velma Kelly in ''Chicago'' and returned to the Broadway production to play Roxie Hart in 2010. She also starred as Mrs Wilkinson for two years in the West End production of ''

Billy Elliot the Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age stage musical based on the Billy Elliot, 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall, who wrote th ...

'' (2014–2016). She returned to television acting in 2021 by appearing as Miranda Evans in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

soap opera '' Doctors''.

Early and personal life

Henshall was born on 7 March 1967 in

Orpington Orpington is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross. On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Mary Cray, sou ...

, London. Her father, David, was a

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, later the editor of the '' East Anglian Daily Times'', a

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

morning newspaper. Henshall dated Prince Edward for a number of years, before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair. After she took the role of Velma Kelly in ''

'' on Broadway, the relationship ended. She met actor and singer Tim Howar, her male co-star lead in the West End production of '' Peggy Sue Got Married''. The couple married in 2004 and have two daughters. The couple separated in August 2009 and later divorced in January 2010.

Career

Prior to making her stage debut at the age of 19, Henshall trained at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey. Her debut performance was in the ''Cascade Revue'' at the West Cliff Theatre in

Clacton-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea, often simply called Clacton, is a seaside town and seaside resort, resort in the county of Essex, on the east coast of England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District, wi ...

. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she took part in a touring production of ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

'' as Maggie. Her West End debut came shortly thereafter when she was cast in ''

'', making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella. In 1988, at the age of 21, Henshall was cast in ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...

'' as one of the bar girls, showing at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

. She then went on to originate the role of Aphra in '' Children of Eden'' at the Prince Edward Theatre. The summer of 1989 saw her at the Chichester Festival Theatre performing in plays by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

as well as a role in the musical ''Valentine's Day'', based on '' You Can Never Tell'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. In 1992, at the age of 25, Henshall was cast as Fantine in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

''. Her first starring role came in the 1993 trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway production '' Crazy for You'' which opened at the Prince Edward Theatre. Her performance earned her the first of five Olivier Award nominations. In 1995, Henshall starred in '' She Loves Me'', winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical. That same year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at London's

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

. Later, in October, she recreated her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of ''Les Misérables'' at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron Mackintosh's hit revival of '' Oliver!'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

. In 1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the Broadway revival of ''

''. For this role, she received her third Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to her co-star Ute Lemper. Henshall was cast in the title role of the stage musical adaptation of the

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

film '' Peggy Sue Got Married'', which opened in London in August 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it closed after a run of just eight weeks, she was once again nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance. Henshall has also appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre, has toured Britain in the revue ''The Magnificent Musicals'', and has performed in '' Hey, Mr. Producer!'', a celebration of the works of Cameron Mackintosh. Her solo recordings include ''The Ruthie Henshall Album'', ''Pilgrim'', and ''Love Is Here to Stay'', a collection of Gershwin tunes. She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria Friedman in Andrew Lloyd Webber's '' The Woman in White'', from July 2005 until February 2006. She was also cast in the title role in Marguerite, a new musical from the pens of

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

, Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. The show opened on 7 May 2008 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, but closed early on 13 September 2008. Henshall's Broadway credits include

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

's '' Putting It Together'', ''Chicago'' (as both Velma and Roxie), and

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

'' The Vagina Monologues''. In 2000 she guest-starred in an episode of ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'' titled "Panic"; she played an author named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' with

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...

, aired on NBC in the United States in November 2004 and was released as a commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe. In January 2006 she appeared in the four-part

Television series '' The Sound of Musicals''. In 2008, Henshall replaced Natalia Bestemianova as a judge on the

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...

show '' Dancing on Ice'' alongside Robin Cousins, Karen Barber, Nicky Slater and Jason Gardiner. Her appointment to ''The Ice Panel'' caused some controversy as she was the only judge with no experience in ice skating. She returned for a second series in 2009. Following the conclusion of the 2009 series, Henshall said on '' Angela and Friends'' the Sky1 TV programme that she was glad that she was away from ''Dancing on Ice''. Her replacement for the 2010 series was Emma Bunton. Henshall performed two evening concerts with

Kim Criswell Kim Criswell (born July 19, 1957) is an American musical entertainer and actress. Life and career Criswell was born in Hampton, Virginia, United States, and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After she graduated from Hixson High School in subu ...

entitled ''From Broadway to Hollywood'' at London's

Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( ...

in the summer of 2009. She returned to the role of Roxie in ''Chicago'' at the

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, London, Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and const ...

, London, on 14 December 2009 and completed her run on 24 April 2010. This was the second time Henshall played the role in London, having created it in 1997. She stated in an interview that she felt more comfortable in the part the second time around, being in her forties. She has stated that, "Anyone who plays the role of Roxie should be in their forties, as they have lived and learned". She has also recently played Roxie in the Broadway company of ''Chicago''. In March 2011, Henshall took the role of Elvira in the classic play '' Blithe Spirit'' in the West End, after playing the role in several regional theatre engagements. In 2011 she also appeared as a theatre actor in an episode of the HBO comedy ''

Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...

'' that aired 14 August, as well as a lawyer in ''The Case'', a 5-part legal drama that aired from 31 October to 4 November on BBC One. In February 2012 it was announced that Henshall will headline a concert of '' Side by Side by Sondheim'' in Australia. Henshall took a purely acting role as billionaire Stephanie Gaunt in the

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

series '' Wizards vs Aliens'' in 2012. Henshall and Daniel Bowling (director of musicals) have written a book, ''So You Want to Be in Musicals?'', published in 2012. In 2014, it was announced that she would play Mrs Wilkinson in ''

'' from 12 May. After two years in the production, she became the final actress to take on the role before the show's closure. In 2020, it was confirmed that Henshall would be participating in the twentieth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here''. She was eliminated on 29 November, finishing in 11th place. In March 2021, she began appearing in the

soap opera '' Doctors'' as Miranda Evans. In 2022, Henshall starred in the revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical ''Passion'' at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, playing Fosca.

Filmography

Stage credits

* ''

'' (UK tour, 1987) as Maggie * ''

'' (London cast, 1987–1989) as Jemima, Demeter, Jellyorum, Griddlebone, Grizabella * ''Bernadette'' (Concept album, 1989) Performer * ''

'' (Original London cast, 1989–1990) as Bar Girl, Ellen * '' Children of Eden'' (Original London cast, 1991) as Aphra * ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

'' (Chichester Festival Theater, 1991) as Lady in Waiting * ''The Sisterhood'' (Chichester cast, 1991) as Martine * ''Valentine's Day'' (Chichester cast, 1991) as Mabel * ''Follow the Star'' (Chichester Festival Theatre, 1991–1992) as Mary * ''

'' (London cast, 1992) as Fantine * '' Godspell'' (Studio cast, 1993) Performer * '' Crazy for You'' (Original London cast, 1993–1994) as Polly Baker * '' She Loves Me'' (London revival cast, 1994) as Amalia Balash * '' Annie'' (Studio cast, 1995) Performer * ''

'' (Studio cast, 1995) as Ellen * ''Les Misérables'' (London concert cast, 1995) as Fantine * '' Crazy for You'' (Toronto cast) as Polly Baker * '' Oliver!'' (London cast, 1996) as Nancy * '' Divorce Me, Darling!'' (Chichester Festival cast, 1997) as Polly Brockhurst * ''

'' (London and Broadway revival cast, 1997–1998, 1999, 2010) as Roxie Hart * '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1936'' (New York concert cast, 1999) Roles originated by Gertrude Niesen * ''Chicago'' (Broadway cast, 1999) as Velma Kelly * '' Putting It Together'' (Broadway revival, 1999) as The Younger Woman * '' The Vagina Monologues'' (Original Off-Broadway production, 2000) * ''

'' (Broadway cast), (Broadway cast replacement, 31 December 2000 – 28 January 2001) as Ellen * '' Peggy Sue Got Married'' (Original London Production, 2001) as Peggy Sue * ''The Vagina Monologues'' (London cast, 2001–2002) * '' The Boy from Oz'' (New York workshop, 2002) as Liza Minnelli * ''Chicago'' (London cast, 2003) Velma Kelly * '' Fosse'' (UK Tour, 2003) * '' The Woman in White'' (Original London production, 2004–2005) as Marian * ''The Other Woman'' ( Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York, 2006) as Emma * ''Stairway to Paradise'' (

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

, 2007) * '' Marguerite'' (Original London production, 2008) as Marguerite * ''Chicago'' (Cambridge Theatre, 2009) as Roxie Hart * '' Blithe Spirit'' (Apollo Theatre, 2011) as Elvira * '' Side by Side by Sondheim'' (Theatre Royal, Sydney, 2012) Headliner *'' Guys and Dolls'' (Concert version, Cadogan Hall, 2012) as Adelaide * '' Billy Elliot'' (West End cast, Victoria Palace Theatre, 2014–2016) as Mrs.Wilkinson * ''Chicago'' (West End revival, Phoenix Theatre, 2018) as Mama Morton * ''Children Of Eden'' (30th anniversary concert, Cadogan Hall, 2021) as The Snake * '' Passion'' (Hope Mill Theatre, revival, 2022) as Fosca * '' 42nd Street'' (West End revival, 2023–2024) as Dorothy Brock

Olivier nominations

Henshall has been nominated five times for the UK's most prestigious theatre award, the

Laurence Olivier Award 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 ...

, winning once. *1993 Best Actress in a Musical for '' Crazy for You'' – nominated *1995 Best Actress in a Musical for '' She Loves Me'' – won *1998 Best Actress in a Musical for ''

'' – nominated *2002 Best Actress in a Musical for '' Peggy Sue Got Married'' – nominated *2009 Best Actress in a Musical for '' Marguerite'' – nominated

Publications

Discography

Solo albums

* ''I've Loved these Days'' * ''The Ruthie Henshall Album'' * ''Pilgrim'' * ''Ruthie Henshall Sings Gershwin''

Guest vocals and compilations

*''I Love Musicals'' *''Sondheim – The Stephen Sondheim Album'' *''Showstoppers: Dudu Fisher'' *''Brent Barrett: The

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musical theatre, musicals, whi ...

Album''

Cast recordings

* 1991: '' Children of Eden (Original London cast)'' * 1993: '' Crazy for You (Original London cast)'' * 1994: '' She Loves Me (1994 London revival cast)'' * 1995: ''

(1995 studio cast)'' * 1995: ''

10th Anniversary Concert'' * 1997: '' Godspell (1993 London studio cast)'' * 1998: '' She Loves Me (1994 London cast)'' * 1998: '' Divorce Me, Darling! (1997 Chichester cast)'' * 1998: '' Annie (London studio cast)'' * 1998: '' Chicago – The Musical (1998 London cast)'' * 1998: '' Hey, Mr. Producer!'' * 1999: ''

(1995 studio cast – highlights)'' * 2001: '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1936'' * 2004: ''

(Original soundtrack from the Hallmark TV production)'' * 2008: '' Marguerite (Original London cast recording)''

References

External links

* * * *
Behind the Stage Door with Ruthie Henshall on Magic at the Musicals
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henshall, Ruthie 1967 births 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses English female dancers English musical theatre actresses Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people Singers from the London Borough of Bromley Actors from the London Borough of Bromley Actresses from London People from Orpington