Ruthie Henshall

Valentine Ruth
Ruthie Henshall
Henshall (born
7 March 1967),
known
professionally
as Ruthie
Henshall, is an
English singer,
stage actor and
dancer known
for her work in
musical theatre.
She began her
professional Henshall in 2019
stage career in
1986, before Valentine Ruth Henshall
making her
West End debut Born 7 March 1967 (age 53)
in Cats in 1987. Orpington, Greater London,
A five-time England
Olivier Award
Musical theatre actress, singer,
nominee, she Occupation
dancer
won the 1995
Years active 1986–present
Olivier Award
for Best Actress Tim Howar
in a Musical for Spouse(s)
her role as
Amalia Balash
(m. 2004; div. 2010)​
in the London
revival of She Children 2
Loves Me Website www.ruthiehenshall.com
(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 (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 (2014–2016).

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.

Contents
1 Personal life
2 Career
3 Filmography
4 Theatre credits
5 Olivier nominations
6 Publications
7 Discography
8 Solo albums
9 Guest vocals and compilations
10 Cast recordings
11 References
12 External links

Personal life
Henshall was born in Orpington, London. Her father, David,
was a journalist, later the editor of the East Anglian Daily
Times, a Suffolk morning newspaper. Henshall's early
ambition was to be a ballet dancer, but she lacked the
necessary physique.

Henshall once dated Prince Edward for a number of years,[1]

before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair.
After she took the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago on
Broadway, they broke up.[2]

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, Lily and
Dolly. The couple separated in August 2009 and later
divorced in January 2010.[citation needed]

Career
Prior to making her stage debut at the age of 19, Henshall
trained at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey.[3] Her debut
performance was in the Cascade Revue at the West Cliff
Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea.[4] In the late 1980s and early
1990s, she took part in a touring production of A Chorus
Line as Maggie.[3] Her West End debut came shortly
thereafter when she was cast in Cats, making appearances
as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella.[5]

In 1988, at the age of 21, Henshall was cast in Miss Saigon as

one of the bargirls, showing at the Theatre Royal, Drury
Lane. 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, Molière as well as a role
in the musical Valentine's Day, based on You Can Never Tell
by George Bernard Shaw.[3]

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

Misérables. 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.[3] In 1995, Henshall starred in She Loves Me,
winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical.[6] That same
year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at
London's Royal Festival Hall. Later, in October, she recreated
her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert
performance of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall. In
1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron
Mackintosh's hit revival of Oliver! at the London Palladium. In
1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West
End transfer of the Broadway revival of Chicago. 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 film Peggy Sue Got
Married,[7] 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.[8]

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.[9][10] Her
solo recordings include The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim,
and Love Is Here to Stay, a collection of Gershwin tunes.[11]
She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria
Freidman 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, 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.[12]

Henshall's Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim's

Putting It Together, Chicago (as both Velma and Roxie), and
The Vagina Monologues. In 2000 she guest-starred in an
episode of Law & Order titled "Panic"; she played an author
named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of A
Christmas Carol with Kelsey Grammer, aired on NBC in the
United States in November 2004 and was released as a
commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe.[5] In
January 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC Television
series The Sound of Musicals.

In 2008, Henshall replaced Natalia Bestemianova as a judge

on the ITV1 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.[13]
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

entitled From Broadway to Hollywood at London's Cadogan
Hall in the summer of 2009.[14]

She returned to the role of Roxie in Chicago at the

Cambridge Theatre, 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.[15][16][17]

In 2011 she also appeared as a theatre actor in an episode of

the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm 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.[18]
[19]

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 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.[20] In 2014, it was announced that she would play Mrs
Wilkinson in Billy Elliot the Musical from 12 May. After two
years in the production, she became the final actress to take
on the role before the show's closure.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
Rita Episode: "We Can Work
1992 Get Back
Henderson It Out"
2000 Law & Order P.K. Todd Episode: "Panic"
Curb Your
Ally Episode: "The Hero"
2011 Enthusiasm
The Case Lawyer 5 episodes
Wizards vs Stephanie Episode: "Friend or Foe:
2012
Aliens Gaunt Parts One and Two"
Billy Elliot the Mrs. Live recording of Billy
2014
Musical Live Wilkinson Elliot the Musical

Theatre credits
A Chorus Line (UK tour, 1987) as Maggie
Cats (London cast, 1987–1989) as Jemima, Demeter,
Jellyorum, Griddlebone, Grizabella
Bernadette (Concept album, 1989) Performer
Miss Saigon (Original London cast, 1989–1990) as Bar
Girl, Ellen
Children of Eden (Original London cast, 1991) as Aphra
Henry VIII (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
Les Misérables (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
Miss Saigon (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
Chicago (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)
Miss Saigon (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, 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[10][21]
 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[22]

Olivier nominations
Henshall has been nominated five times for the UK's most
prestigious theatre award, the Laurence Olivier Award,
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 Chicago – nominated
2002 Best Actress in a Musical for Peggy Sue Got
Married – nominated
2009 Best Actress in a Musical for Marguerite –
nominated

Publications
So You Want to Be in Musicals?[full citation needed]

Discography
Year Title Role Notes
The Making of Miss
1990 Ellen
Saigon
Les Misérables: The
1995 Fantine
Dream Cast in Concert
1998 Hey, Mr. Producer! Herself
Putting It Together: The Young Final
2001
Direct from Broadway Woman performance
Some Enchanted
2003 Evening: Richard
Rodgers Tribute Gala
Herself
Broadway – The Golden
Age, By the Legends
Who Were There
2004
Mrs. Scrooge
A Christmas Carol (Scrooge's
Mother)
Charitable
2005 Voices For Darfur
performance
Herself
Lesley Garrett: Music
2006
from the Movies

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 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: Miss Saigon (1995 studio cast)
1995: Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert[11][23]
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: Miss Saigon (1995 studio cast – highlights)
2001: Ziegfeld Follies of 1936
2004: A Christmas Carol (Original soundtrack from the
Hallmark TV production)
2008: Marguerite (Original London cast recording)

References
 1. "Henshall talks of love for prince". BBC News. 17
August 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
2. Jardine, Cassandra. "Ruthie Henshall: 'I felt that I was
losing my mind'", telegraph.co.uk, 12 September 2008.
3. ^ a b c d "Biography". ruthiehenshall.com. Archived from
the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
4. "History", West Cliff Theatre. Accessed 17 January
2021
5. ^ a b "Ruthie Henshall". The Agency Group, Ltd.
Retrieved 7 July 2009.
6. "Olivier Award: Best Actress in a Musical".
Awardsandhonors.com. Archived from the original on
26 November 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
7. "Ruthie Henshall Signed Up to Star as Peggy Sue".
WhatsOnStage.com. 29 March 2001. Archived from the
original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
8. "Olivier Awards 2002: The nominations". BBC News. 17
January 2002. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
9. "RuthieHenshall.net". Archived from the original on 7
August 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
10. ^ a b "Ruthie Henshall Theatre Credits".
BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
11. ^ a b "Ruthie Henshall: Albums, Songs, Bios, Photos".
Amazon.com. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
12. Shenton, Mark (21 August 2008). "Marguerite to
Shutter Early; Girl With a Pearl Earring to Play
Haymarket Next". Playbill. Archived from the original on
 14 September 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
13. "Dancing on Ice – New judge Ruthie Henshall speaks
out". MyParkMag.co.uk. 11 January 2008. Archived
from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 July
2009.
14. Gans, Andrew (19 June 2009). "Ruthie Henshall, Maria
Friedman and Kim Criswell to Play Cadogan Hall".
Playbill. Archived from the original on 19 September
2012. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
15. Gray, Christopher."'Blithe Spirit': Milton Keynes Theatre
and Apollo Theatre, London, next month" Archived 24
March 2012 at the Wayback MachineThe Oxford Times,
16 February 2011
16. Woolman, Natalie."Ruthie Henshall to star in Blithe
Spirit", thestage.co.uk, 31 August 2010
17. BWW News Desk."Ruthie Henshall Joins Bathurst,
Steadman & Norris in London-Bound 'Blithe Spirit'"
broadwayworld.com, 31 August 2010
18. Best British TV."BBC Drama: The Case"
bestbritishtv.com, 18 October 2011
19. BBC News."Ruthie Henshall hosts charity show at
Ipswich Regent", bbc.co.uk, 18 November 2011
20. Ruthie Henshall; Daniel Bowling (2012). So You Want to
Be in Musicals?. Nick Hern Books. Retrieved 29
December 2012.
21. "Stage Credits at Ruthie Henshall.com". Archived from
the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 26 November
 2009.
22. "Sarah Soetaert, Josefina Gabrielle & Ruthie Henshall
to join Cuba Gooding Jr in Chicago". Best of Theatre. 16
February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
23. "Recordings RuthieHenshall.com". Archived from the
original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2009.

External links
Official website
Ruthie Henshall on Mellow Magic
Ruthie Henshall at IMDb
Ruthie Henshall at the Internet Broadway Database

hide

v
t
e

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical

Anna Sharkey (1977)
Merged Elaine Paige (1978)

Virginia McKenna (1979)

Gemma Craven (1980)
Carlin Glynn (1981)
Julia McKenzie (1982)
Barbara Dickson (1983)
Natalia Makarova (1984)
Patti LuPone (1985)
Lesley Mackie (1986)
 Nichola McAuliffe (1987)
Patricia Routledge (1988)
Lea Salonga (1989/1990)
Imelda Staunton (1991)
Wilhelmenia Fernandez (1992)
Joanna Riding (1993)
Julia McKenzie (1994)
Ruthie Henshall (1995)
Judi Dench (1996)
Maria Friedman (1997)
Ute Lemper (1998)
Sophie Thompson (1999)
Barbara Dickson (2000)
Actress Samantha Spiro (2001)
Martine McCutcheon (2002)
Joanna Riding (2003)
Maria Friedman (2004)
Laura Michelle Kelly (2005)
Jane Krakowski (2006)
Jenna Russell (2007)
Leanne Jones (2008)
Elena Roger (2009)
Samantha Spiro (2010)
Sheridan Smith (2011)
Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Sophia Kiely, and
Eleanor Worthington Cox (2012)
Imelda Staunton (2013)
Zrinka Cvitešić (2014)
Katie Brayben (2015)
Imelda Staunton (2016)
Amber Riley (2017)
Shirley Henderson (2018)
Sharon D. Clarke (2019)
Miriam-Teak Lee (2020)