Women on the verge...of a glittering gong!
To celebrate tonight’s Olivier Awards, Clare Geraghty turns the spotlight on to theatreland’s standout stars of the past year
LEFT Haydn wears CORSET, Isabel Garcia; BLOUSE, Natasha Zinko; SKIRT and PETTICOAT, both Vivien of Holloway. RIGHT Anna wears SKIRT, BELT and PETTICOAT, Vivien of Holloway; BUSTIER, Orla Kiely, and BLOUSE, Natasha Zinko
HAYDN GWYNNE
STAR TURN Lucia in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, adapted from the 1988 Pedro Almodóvar film of the same name. The play, which features a subplot about an Islamic terrorist cell planning an attack in Europe, hit headlines and earned nominations for Haydn and her co-star Tamsin Greig.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Haydn, 58, didn’t come to acting until her mid-20s following a stint as a county-level tennis player and five years teaching English in Rome. Her TV highlights include Drop the Dead Donkey and Peak Practice, while on stage it was her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Audience that made people sit up and take notice.
SHE SAYS ‘I suddenly found myself on BBC News! I’d love to have been part of the cast when The Audience transferred to Broadway, but I had to stay here because of my family.’ [She has two teenage sons with partner Jason Phipps.]
ANNA SKELLERN
STAR TURN Model Candela in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, alongside Haydn.
ROUTE TO THE TOP The 29-year-old made her name when she was chosen as the first female member of the Australian comedy show CNNNN, satirising American news. She trained at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama and numerous film and television roles followed, including Outnumbered, Parade’s End and The Musketeers. Next up is The Interceptor on BBC One later this year.
SHE SAYS ‘I remember very seriously telling my mother at the age of three that I wanted to be either an actress, a tightrope walker or an athlete when I grew up – I just loved attention, I guess! I was inspired by the cast ofAb Fab and [Australian series] Kath & Kim. My heart lies in comedy – it’s such a privilege to be able to make people laugh for a living.’
Helen wears DRESS, Dolce & Gabbana
HELEN McCRORY
STAR TURN The title role in Medea, the Carrie Cracknell-directed adaptation of Euripides’s tragedy at the National Theatre.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Helen, 46 – who is married to Wolf Hall and Homeland actor Damian Lewis – shot to fame playing Cherie Blair in films The Queen and The Special Relationship. Other TV and film highlights include Harry Potter, Skyfall and playing Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders.
SHE SAYS ‘It’s not very rock ’n’ roll but on a Sunday you’d find me, Damian and the children [daughter Manon, eight, and son Gulliver, seven] at home. Damian does the cooking and I do the eating and the pouring of the wine! Because we both travel so much, those days are precious as the kids are only going to be this age once. As Brits we always downplay our achievements, but I don’t think we can ignore how phenomenally successful our theatre has become.’
FROM LEFT: Jenna wears DRESS, Emilio de la Morena; COAT and SUNGLASSES, both Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, and SHOES, Paul Andrew. Samantha wears TOP, Moschino Cheap and Chic; TROUSERS, Just Cavalli, and SHOES, Charlotte Olympia. Tamzin wears DRESS, Just Cavalli; STOLE, Osman; BAG, Chanel at Vintage Heirloom, and SHOES, Christian Louboutin
JENNA RUSSELL
STAR TURN Rose in the Vaudeville Theatre’s staging of Di and Viv and Rose.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Sylvia Young graduate Jenna, 47, has a long and illustrious history on the stage, both in the West End and on Broadway, with a debut in Les Misérables and numerous roles for the RSC. Her turn as Dot/Marie in Sunday in the Park with George earned her an Olivier in 2007 and a Tony nomination the following year.
SHE SAYS ‘Finding the theatre saved me and Stephen Sondheim is my hero. I was a very shy child and went to a theatre group for confidence issues more than anything else, but it turned my life around. I never dreamed I’d make my living from it.’
SAMANTHA SPIRO
STAR TURN Viv in Di and Viv and Rose.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Londoner Samantha, 46, can turn her hand to comedy, Shakespeare, musicals and sitcoms and her diversity was acknowledged when in 2010 she became the first person to win both an Olivier (for Hello, Dolly!) and a British Comedy Award (for the sitcom Grandma’s House) in the same year. Highlights of her distinguished career include Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the National, playing Lady Macbeth at the Globe and Mary in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.
SHE SAYS ‘When I’m not working I’m very much Mummy to my two little girls [with fellow actor Mark Leadbetter, who Samantha met at drama school]. That’s my joy and that’s the job I love doing the most.’
TAMZIN OUTHWAITE
STAR TURN Di in Di and Viv and Rose – her third time playing the role.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Tamzin, 44, proves that appearing in a soap needn’t mean you’re typecast – she has established a hugely successful career since leaving EastEnders in 2002 after three-and-a-half years as Melanie Owen. TV roles have included Red Cap and New Tricks; on the stage Sweet Charity at the Theatre Royal Haymarket particularly stands out.
SHE SAYS ‘Earning a living and providing for my children [Tamzin has two young daughters with ex-husband Tom Ellis] by doing something I love is the dream; I count myself as very lucky. But theatre is why I’m an actor and my theatrical roles will always be the highlights of my career.’
Lucy wears JUMPER, Osman; SKIRT, Longchamp; COAT, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi; HAT, Stephen Jones; LAPTOP CASE and PURSE, both Smythson; BAGS, Smythson and Longchamp, and SANDALS, Aldo
LUCY PUNCH
STAR TURN Paige Britain, a ruthless, ambitious tabloid editor at the centre of a phone-hacking scandal in the satire Great Britain at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Lucy is making her mark in Hollywood – and earning a bit of a reputation for playing baddies and character parts – with film roles including Into The Woods with Meryl Streep, Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz and Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, in which she memorably played the slutty wife of Anthony Hopkins’s character. Great Britain marks her first stage role for more than ten years.
SHE SAYS ‘I love to camp it up and make people laugh. Comedy comes naturally to me and is what I’m best known for, though I’d love to do more straight parts.’
FROM LEFT: Lydia wears JACKET and LACE SHIRT, both Fitriani; SKIRT, Vivienne Westwood, and SANDALS, Paul Andrew. Samantha wears DUNGAREES, Natasha Zinko; JACKET, Fitriani; HAT, Noel Stewart, and SHOES, Paul Andrew. Rosalie wears DRESS, Sophia Kah, and STILETTOS, Christian Louboutin. Lucy wears JACKET, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania; TROUSERS and SHIRT, both Vivienne Westwood, and SHOES, Pollini
LYDIA LEONARD
STAR TURN Anne Boleyn in the RSC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. The double bill received rave reviews and multiple nominations, including Virgin Atlantic Best New Play.
ROUTE TO THE TOP The role of Anne has taken Lydia, 34 – who trained at Bristol Old Vic – from Stratford to London to Broadway. Next on her agenda is playing Virginia Woolf in upcoming BBC Two drama Life in Squares. Previous screen credits include The 39 Steps and Archipelago.
SHE SAYS ‘I was filming Virginia Woolf by day and playing Anne Boleyn by night – it was exhausting but amazing to be portraying two such iconic women. Doing a play is like a drug. The levels of adrenalin you experience before first night are so euphoric – it can’t be beaten.’
SAMANTHA BARKS
STAR TURN Avril/Mallory in the Donmar Warehouse’s City of Angels, a film noir musical in which the cast play dual roles. The show is nominated for five awards, including Best Director and Magic Radio Best Musical Revival.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Samantha, 24, who hails from the Isle of Man, shot to fame on BBC talent showI’d Do Anything. Although she didn’t win the prize role of Nancy, she’s gone on to establish herself as a force on both the stage and big screen, with roles in Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl and 2012’s Les Misérables movie opposite Eddie Redmayne.
SHE SAYS ‘Though I didn’t win I’d Do Anything, I have since played the role of Nancy in Oliver! [on the UK tour] – it was a proper thrill to realise that dream. I was so ambitious and determined to make it.’
ROSALIE CRAIG
STAR TURN Gabby/Bobbi in City of Angels.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Rosalie grew up in Nottingham and joined the RSC after graduating from drama school. She originated the role of Arwen in Lord of the Rings in the West End, and was nominated for an Olivier last year for The Light Princess at the National Theatre.
SHE SAYS ‘London theatre is experiencing its second heyday. Many people who had previously been a bit sniffy about it, or thought it wasn’t for them, are buying tickets, which is fabulous. To be associated with the Oliviers in any way is such an honour, as I’ve dreamt of working on the stage since I was a child.’
LUCY BRIGGS-OWEN
STAR TURN Viola De Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love – based on the 1998 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes – at the Noël Coward Theatre. The film earned a Best Picture Oscar, and the stage version has been no less successful, with a nomination in the Best New Comedy category.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Bristol-born Lucy, 28, didn’t feel that she fitted in at school so discovering drama gave her a voice and an escape from her exercise books. She has appeared in lots of RSC productions including Cardenio (Shakespeare’s ‘lost play’), The City Madam and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The role that really got her noticed was playing Cressida in the Barbican’s production of Troilus and Cressida.
SHE SAYS ‘There was a huge amount of love for the project of getting Shakespeare in Love on to the stage, as people adored the movie, but comparisons to Gwyneth are scary. It would be thrilling to take Shakespeare in Love to Broadway: the dream, in fact!’
LEFT Gemma wears FEATHER SHRUG, Yves Salomon; DRESS, vintage Isaac Mizrahi; SUSPENDERS, I D Sarrieri, and STOCKINGS, Mrs Miller. RIGHT Beverley wears SEQUIN CAPE, Antonio Berardi; SHORTS, Mary Katrantzou; BAG, Christian Louboutin; LINGERIE, L’Agent by Agent Provocateur, and STOCKINGS, Mrs Miller
GEMMA ARTERTON
STAR TURN Her role as downtrodden machinist Rita in the stage adaptation of Made in Dagenham at the Adelphi Theatre has seen Gemma nominated in the Best Actress in a Musical category.
ROUTE TO THE TOP The 29-year-old won her first professional screen role while still at Rada, and made her stage debut in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Globe. She has since starred as a Bond girl in Quantum of Solace, alongside Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson in Clash of the Titans, and with Saoirse Ronan in thriller Byzantium.
SHE SAYS ‘I can really identify with the working-class women who inspired the story of Made In Dagenham. I wasn’t so worried about critical reactions; I just wanted to please them. Having played Tess [of the D’Urbervilles] and Elizabeth Bennet, I seem to have a thing for classic literary heroines. But I prefer to see what comes along rather than coveting particular roles.’
BEVERLEY KNIGHT
STAR TURN Felicia in Memphis is only Beverley’s second West End theatre role – after starring in the stage version of The Bodyguard – but she has earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Beverley, 42, has conquered the worlds of music, TV and stage. She won a record deal aged 21, released her debut album in 1995 and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her contribution to music.
SHE SAYS ‘Although people know me as a pop star, I did lots of musical theatre during my teenage years, so being cast in The Bodyguard in 2013 then being approached to play Felicia [at the Shaftesbury Theatre] has allowed me to rediscover that dream. After Memphis I want to get back to the studio, though – I’m itching to get going on a new album.’
Beverley wears sequin cape, Antonio Berardi; shorts, Mary Katrantzou; Bag, Christian Louboutin; lingerie, L’Agent by Agent Provocateur, and stockings, Mrs Miller
FROM LEFT: Natalie wears CROP TOP and SHORTS, both Natasha Zinko, and SHOES, Michael Van Der Ham. Katie wears DRESS, Dior, and SHOES, Michael Van Der Ham. Eva wears DRESS, Paule Ka, and SHOES, Michael Van Der Ham. Katherine wears DRESS, Related, and SHOES, Michael Van Der Ham
NATALIE MENDOZA
STAR TURN Shoe-loving diva Imelda Marcos in the National Theatre’s production of Here Lies Love, which is up for MasterCard Best New Musical.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Multitalented Natalie, 33, has had numerous roles on stage and screen throughout her career. She landed a three-picture deal with Miramax aged 19, and is best known for her film roles in The Descent and its sequel, as well as the BBC’s Hotel Babylon. A concussion meant that Natalie had to pull out of her hard-won role of Arachne in the Broadway incarnation of Spider-Man a couple of years ago. She thought about giving up the stage altogether, which makes her triumphant return all the sweeter.
SHE SAYS ‘I’ve been in lots of iconic musicals throughout my career – Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Sweet Charity – but watching a Tom Stoppard play at the National convinced me that I wanted to learn classical theatre. So I auditioned for Bristol Old Vic and started again – the best decision I’ve ever made.’
KATIE BRAYBEN
STAR TURN Singer-songwriter Katie was the perfect choice to take Carole King’s back catalogue on to the stage in Beautiful. The show, at the Aldwych Theatre, has been lauded by critics and seen Katie nominated in the Best Actress in a Musical category.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Katie’s previous credits include American Psycho and Princess Diana in King Charles III on stage, as well as Vera and This Way Out on screen.
SHE SAYS ‘I’ve always been a massive Carole King fan, so to be cast in this show was such an honour. Her music was the soundtrack of a generation. My parents were in a band and my sister is a musician, too, so I was almost the black sheep of the family when I said I wanted to become an actor but I stuck to my guns.’
KATHERINE KINGSLEY
STAR TURN Katherine’s hilarious portrayal of Christine Colgate stole the show from leads Robert Lindsay and Rufus Hound in the Savoy Theatre’s recent production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The show is nominated for its exceptional choreography.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Cambridge-born Katherine, 33, is something of an Oliviers veteran – she has been nominated three times before, for her portrayal of Marlene Dietrich in Piaf (2009) and her roles in Singin’ In the Rain (2012) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sheridan Smith (2013). Next up is the film Genius with Jude Law, Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, due for release next year.
SHE SAYS ‘Decent roles for older women are coming up more frequently. It’s exciting that, as an actress, you no longer reach your mid-40s and think, “Oh, that’s the end of my career.”’
EVA NOBLEZADA
STAR TURN Kim, the lead in Cameron Mackintosh’s triumphant revival of Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre. The iconic musical is nominated in the Magic Radio Best Musical Revival category after a 15-year hiatus.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Eva, 19, was plucked from obscurity while at a performing arts high school in North Carolina to make her professional debut in Miss Saigon. She has since relocated to London to pursue her dream of West End stardom.
SHE SAYS ‘I started singing at church and everything’s grown from there – I never second-guessed my dream. Being cast in Miss Saigon was mind-boggling – I just couldn’t believe it. It was overwhelming to move to London as I’d never left the States before, but now I love my life here – the shopping at Westfield particularly!’
Jane wears BANDEAU and TROUSERS, Fitriani, and SHOES, Joanne Stoker
JANE HORROCKS
STAR TURN Ella Khan in Trafalgar Studios’ production of East is East, her first stage role for five years.
ROUTE TO THE TOP Almost as famous for her distinctively high-pitched Lancashire accent as her acting prowess, Little Voice and Absolutely Fabulous star Jane, 51, trained at Rada and began her professional career with the RSC.
SHE SAYS ‘Lots of actors have hugely successful careers but not necessarily roles that define them. So I count myself lucky that I’ve had two with Little Voice and Absolutely Fabulous.’
Jane wears bandeau and Trousers, Fitriani, and Shoes, Joanne Stoker
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