Ruthie Henshall
Ruthie Henshall is one of the most iconic musical theatre performers of the era, having paved a fantastic career for herself on both Broadway and London's West End. Ruthie is currently performing in Billy Elliot - The Musical, and to great acclaim.
Ruthie trained at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts, and has gone onto inaugural performing arts success in a range of roles and performances spanning many years across the industry. She has, until recently, been performing in her own tour, presenting an anecdotal evening alongside some of the blockbuster hits she is most famous for. This is in addition to her own material which is a testament to her incredible talent and her success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyscZQmRc6w
Throughout her years on stage, Ruthie has become something of a musical theatre success, with other credits including performances in productions such as Chicago, The Woman in White, Marguerite, Les Misérables, Oliver!, Crazy For You, Cats, Miss Saigon and She Loves Me, for which she won an Olivier Award. She joined the cast of Billy Elliot - The Musical in May this year, to play Billy's dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, taking over from Anna-Jane Casey. Despite recent focus on her solo performances on tour, Ruthie's return to the West End stage for the first time since 2011 has been met with enthusiasm from fans.
The first performance for Ruthie as Mrs Wilkinson was on 12 May 2014, nine years to the day since the show officially opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Based on the hit 2000 film and set against the mining strikes of the 1980s, Billy Elliot - The Musical recounts the tale of a boy whose father wants him to learn to box but who instead discovers a love for ballet that leads him from secret lessons to a place at The Royal Ballet School.