Bridgerton has blasted onto our screens and it is all anyone can talk about right now! And rightly so, its an incredible series and I for one cannot wait for more series to drop in the future. Something that makes this wonderful show so great is the incredibly talented cast and as the theatre nerds that we are, I couldn't stop googling the actors to find out that so many of them have some incredible theatre backgrounds. Some, I'm sure, you've seen in shows before! So, we've pulled together the information you'll need to fulfil the stagey part of your brain. How many have you seen in shows?!
Jonathan BaileyBailey has become a well-known Screen actor with credits including Chewing Gum, Broadchurch, Jack Ryan and Hooten & the Lady and now as the eldest son of the Bridgerton family, but Bailey is an award-winning stage actor. In 2018 he won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role as Jamie in the West End revival of Company at the Gielgud Theatre. His other stage credits include The York Realist (Donmar); King Lear (Chichester); The Last Five Years (St. James Theatre); American Psycho (Almeida Theatre); Othello (National Theatre); South Downs (Chichester & Harold Pinter Theatre); Girl with a Pearl Earring (Cambridge Arts & Theatre Roya Haymarket) and Beautiful Thing (Sound Theatre).
Ruth GemmellA truly seasoned actor, Gemmell plays the Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton, the widowed mother of the Bridgerton children. Her stage credits are extensive, working up and down the country in some of our finest theatres. Some of her credits include Tis Pity She's a Whore & The Country Wife (Lancaster Playhouse); The Winter's Tale (Salisbury Playhouse); An Ideal Husband & Uncle Vanya (Edinburgh Lyceum); Ancient Lights & Nabokov's Gloves (Hampstead Theatre); The Weir (Royal Court Theatre); Coram Boy (National Theatre); Betrayal (Sheffield Crucible); Riflemind (Trafalgar Studios) and Macbeth, King Lear, Midwinter, Midsummer Mischief all at the RSC.
Luke Thompson Thomspon plays the second son of the Bridgerton family, Benedict. With some fantastic credits attached to his name, including the hit film Dunkirk, he has a wonderful collection of theatre credits. He has played Edgar in King Lear (Duke of York's Theatre), Laertes in Hamlet (Almeida & Harold Pinter Theatre); Orestes in the Oresteia (Almeida & Trafalgar Studios); Ithocles in The Broken Heart, Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, Lysander in A Midsummer Nights Dream & Will in Blue Stockings (The Globe) and James in Tiger Country (Hampstead Theatre).
Luke Newton The third son of the Bridgerton family, Newton plays Colin. With television credits that include The Lodge (Disney), Mr Selfridge (ITV), Sadie J (CBBC) and The Cut (BBC), Newton is proving to be one of the names to look out for. On stage, Luke was in the original London cast of The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, understudying the lead role of Elder Price and played the title role in the 2012 Pantomime Aladdin at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford.
Kathryn DrysdaleMany may know her from her role in 'Two Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps' but she has also had a wonderful career in theatre. Some of the theatrical credits include Fran in Home, I'm Darling (NAtional Theatre/Theatr Clywd); Grace in The Ruling Class (Trafalgar Studios); Lucy in The Recruiting Officer (Donmar Warehouse); A Sudden Loss of Dignity (Bush Theatre); Hermia in A Midsummer Nights Dream (RSC/Novello Theatre); Maya in Catch (Royal Court) and Joan in Far Away (Sheffield Crucible).
Julian Ovenden With a huge collection of credits to his name, it comes as no surprise that Ovenden is as accomplished on stage as he is on screen. Some of his theatre credits include All About Eve (Noël Coward Theatre); The Treatment (Almeida Theatre); My Night With Reg (Apollo Theatre/Donmar Warehouse); Sunday in the Park with George (Théâtre du Châtelet); Showboat (New York Philharmonic); Finding Neverland (Leicester Theatre); Death Takes a Holiday (Roundabout Theatre); Marguerite (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Butley (The Booth Theatre); Annie Get Your Gun (The Young Vic) A Woman of No Importance (Theatre Royal Haymarket) and Merrily We Roll Along and Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse.
Adjoa AndohAs Lady Danbury, she is the mentor of Simon after taking him in as a child when his father wasn't interested. Andoh's Theatre background is extensive, with credits from some of the biggest theatre companies in the world! Some credits include Richard II (Globe); Troilus and Cressida (RSC); Julius Caeser (Bridge Theatre); Assata Taught Me (The Gate Theatre); Soul (Royal & Derngate/Hackney Empire); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Donmar Warehouse); Great Expectations (Bristol Old Vic); Julius Caesar (RSC, Noel Coward Theatre and BAM New York); Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Young Vic); Blood Wedding (Almedia Theatre) and many more!
Julie Andrews As the voice of Lady Whistledown, Andrews is a staple in musical theatre, a true legend. With starring roles in classic films such as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella she also graced the Broadway stage as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Polly Brown in The Boyfriend, Queen Guinevere in Camelot, Amy in Putting it Together and her last appearance on the stage, as the title character in Victor/Victoria. As far as theatre legends go, you couldn't get higher than Dame Julie Andrews!
Golda Rosheuvel Playing the grand Queen Charlotte, she has a huge theatrical career. Too much to list here even! Some Musical Theatre credits include Porgy and Bess (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre); We Will Rock You (The Dominion Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (Really Useful); HAIR (The Gate); Tommy (The Shaftesbury Theatre); Fame (Aldwych Theater); Wonder.land and South Pacific (National Theatre) and Carmen Jones (The Old Vic). Play credits include A Christmas Carol; Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe); The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre); Now We Are Here (Young Vic); The White Devil (The Menier Chocolate Factory); Angels in America (Headlong Theatre Company) and The Tempest, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra (Royal Shakespeare Company).
Ruby Baker Playing Marina Thompson, a cousin of the Featheringtons and whilst she stays with the family, creates quite a scandal. She is building up quite a career on our screens working with BBC, Sky and now, of course, Netflix! But she also has some theatre credits, they include Arabella in The Biscuits (CBBC Live Event); Virgin Mary in York Mystery Plays (York Minster) and Mercy and Titivillus in Mankind, directed by Laura Elizabeth-Rice.
Sabrina Bartlett Playing the Opera singer, Siena Rosso, who is Anthony Bridgerton's (Jonathan Bailey) lover. With television credits that include Game of Thrones, Victoria, Poldark and Knightfall, she has also had a great career in theatre. Her theatrical credits include Elizabeth in While The Sun Shines (Orange Tree Theatre); Roxane in Cyrano De Bergerac (Southwark Playhouse) and Nina in The Seagull (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre).
Bessie Carter Carter, the daughter of acting legends Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter, graduated from Guildhall in 2016 and has since had a very impressive career. She plays the eldest Featherington daughter in the show and her theatrical credits include The Roundabout at the Park Theatre, King Lear at the Old Vic, Baskerville at the Liverpool Playhouse and All My Sons at the Old Vic as well as appearing in the 2012 film adaptation of the Musical Les Miserables as a factory worker.
Nicola Coughlan
Famous for her role in Derry Girls, Coughlan plays the youngest Featherington daughter, Penelope. On stage she has appeared as Joyce Emily Hammond in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the Donmar Warehouse, Jess in Jess and Joe Forever at the Orange Tree Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The Old Vic, Elena in Nadya at the Park Theatre, Sophie in Duck for Out of Joint (directed by Max Stafford-Clark & Stella Feehily) and Kirsty in Chapel Street on a tour of the UK for Scrawl Theatre Company.
Ben Miller Miller has a hugely successful career on our screens both big and small but also has a huge theatre background. In the West end he has appeared in The Duck House at the Vaudeville Theatre and The Lady Killers at the Gielgud Theatre. He has performed in many shows in Edinburgh like The Quality Shag, Bare Naked Fighting, Huge, The Heartbreak Kid, Gone with Noakes, The Trench Kiss and Killers. Other theatre credits include UK tours of Wasted Spark, 'Tis Pity She's A Whore and Julius Caeser.
Regé-Jean PageOne of the hottest names to come from the series and with rumours of being the next James Bond, whether it's true or not, it's proven that Page is one to keep your eye on. Page trained at Drama Centre, The National Youth Theatre and The Identity Drama School. His theatrical credits include Solanio in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeares Globe, Crother in The History Boys at the Sheffield Crucible and Sgt Tariq Aqqbaal in Our Days of Rage at the Old Vic Tunnels.
Hugh SachsAs the Queen's secretary in the show, Sachs is a star of our screens and can be seen in so many TV shows. On stage, he has appeared in The Roundabout (Park Theatre); Amadeus (National Theatre); Anything Goes (Sheffield Crucible); One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre in the West End); Women Killed with Kindness (National Theatre); See How They Run (Royal Exchange, Manchester); The Cherry Orchard (Sheffield Crucible); Humble Boy (Tour); Privates on Parade (Donmar Warehouse); The Country Wife (Sheffield Crucible) and Peter Pan (National Theatre & West Yorkshire Playhouse).
Martins ImhangbeAs Will Mondrich, a boxer and confidant of the Duke of Hastings, Martins has a huge backlog of theatre credits having worked with companies all over London. They include Othello (ETT); Death of a Salesman (Young Vic); The Tragedy of King Richard II (Almeida Theatre); An Adventure (Bush Theatre); Absolute Hell (National Theatre); The Barbershop Chronicles (Fuel Theatre); The Royal (Bush Theatre); Luce (Southwark Playhouse); Octagon (Arcola Theatre); The Striker (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Romeo and Juliet (Orange Tree Theatre); Cinderella (Unicorn Theatre); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Workshop).
