Ruthie Henshall is a five-time Olivier Award nominee, actress, singer, and dancer well known for her highly captivating musical theatre performances. She won her first Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her sensational role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me in 1995. Ruthie is famous for playing the characters of Polly Baker and Roxie Hart, in addition to the title roles in the original productions of Peggy Sue Got Married and Marguerite. She made her West End debut in Cats in 1987 and her Broadway debut in 1999 in the role of Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago.
Ruthie commenced her training at the Laine Theatre Arts and made her debut stage performance at 19 in Cascade Revue. Showcasing extraordinary talent, she was then cast in Miss Saigon before going on to originate the role of Aphra in Children of Eden at the Prince Edward Theatre. During her summer at the Chichester Festival Theatre, she performed plays by Shakespeare and in the musical Valentine’s Day. In 1992 she was cast as Fantine in Les Miserable and played her first starring role in the trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway production Crazy for You, which she gained her first Oliver nomination for.
In 1996 she delivered an exquisite performance of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s hit revival Oliver at the prestigious London Palladium. Ruthie is known for her solo recordings The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim and Love Is Here to Say. Moreover, for two years she starred as Mrs Wilkinson in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. In addition to her iconic theatre roles, Ruthie has made several appearances on prominent TV shows including Law & Order, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and she played a lawyer on The Case.
Ruthie has also performed in a musical version of Christmas Carol alongside Kelsey Grammar which aired on NBC. This was followed by an appearance on the BBC show The Sound of Musical and then as a judge on ITV’s Dancing on ICE. In 2020 Ruthie appeared in the 20th series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and most recently played Miranda Evans in the hit BBC show Doctors. An extraordinary performer who has captivated people for decades, Ruthie is now available to hire for your special occasion.
