Kerry Ellis
At a glance
About
Kerry Ellis is one of the leading ladies of West End and Broadway musical theatre, as well as a successful recording artist. She originated the role of Meat in Queen’s We Will Rock You and became the first British actress to play Elphaba in Wicked. Her performance earned her the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Takeover in a Role. She went on to play Elphaba on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater, where she won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance. Her other major West End credits include Grizabella in Cats, Nancy in Oliver!, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon, Fantine in Les Misérables and Sara in Murder Ballad. As a recording artist, Kerry has enjoyed chart success and has been signed to Decca Records and Sony Music. She has collaborated with artists including Brian May, Alfie Boe and Lang Lang, and has performed internationally in China, Japan and across the UK. Kerry has performed at major venues and events, including the Royal Albert Hall, where she performed for The King’s Trust and met King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Her international work has included sold-out solo concerts in Beijing and Shanghai, an Asia tour with Alfie Boe, and a performance connected with the launch of Disney World Abu Dhabi. Kerry continues to develop new theatre, concert and recording projects. Her recent work includes a world-premiere concert of Little Women at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the development of her Rock Anthems UK tour, featuring powerful rock songs, storytelling and highlights from her career. Alongside performing, Kerry is passionate about supporting and mentoring the next generation of musical-theatre performers. She has developed an online musical-theatre course covering auditions, self-tapes, agents, performance technique and social media, as well as West End masterclasses and retreats. Kerry is also writing a book to accompany her Rock Anthems tour, sharing stories from her career from 1995 to the present day.