Olivier award-winning actor Ruthie Henshall will be joining the London cast of Billy Elliot the Musical to play Billy’s straight talking dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson. Her first performance will be 12th May 2014 (tonight), which is also the same day the show will be celebrating nine years at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
Ruthie Henshall has performed in many iconic roles in musicals both in the West End and on Broadway including Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart in Chicago, Marion Halcome in The Woman in White, the title roles in Peggy Sue Got Married and Marguerite, Fantine in Les Misérables, Nancy in Oliver, Polly Baker inCrazy For You, Jemima in Cats and Ellen in Miss Saigon as well as Amalia in She Loves Me for which she won the Best Actress in a Musical Olivier award. She was last on stage in Thea Sharrock’s production ofBlithe Spirit at the Apollo Theatre. As a recording artist, she has featured on numerous cast recordings, compilation albums and solo albums including Pilgrim, The Ruthie Henshall Album, Love is Here to Stayand I’ve Loved These Days. Her television credits include The Case, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sound of Musicals, Law and Order, The Mysteries of 71st Street. Henshall was a judge on ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
