Ruthie Henshall

Valentine Ruth Henshall was born on March 7, 1967, in Orpington, London, England. She began her professional stage career in 1986 after training at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey. Her early career included a touring production of “A Chorus Line” as Maggie in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Henshall made her West End debut in “Cats” in 1987, where she performed a variety of roles including Jemima, Demeter, Jellylorum, Griddlebone, and Grizabella. In 1988, she joined the cast of “Miss Saigon” at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as one of the bar girls, and originated the role of Aphra in “Children of Eden” in 1991. Her early work also included performing in Shakespeare and Molière plays at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1989.

Henshall’s career progressed with her first starring role in 1993, as Polly Baker in the London transfer of the Broadway production “Crazy for You” at the Prince Edward Theatre, earning her the first of five Olivier Award nominations. A significant milestone occurred in 1995 when she starred as Amalia Balash in “She Loves Me,” for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. That same year, she performed a Gershwin concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall and reprised her role as Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert of “Les Misérables” at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of “Oliver!” at the London Palladium. She originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the Broadway revival of “Chicago” in 1997, earning another Olivier nomination. Henshall made her Broadway debut in 1999 as Velma Kelly in “Chicago” and also appeared in “Putting It Together” and “The Vagina Monologues” off-Broadway.

Throughout her career, Henshall has demonstrated versatility across various theatrical and television productions. She has returned to iconic roles multiple times, including Roxie Hart in “Chicago” on Broadway in 2010. From 2014 to 2016, she played Mrs. Wilkinson in the West End production of “Billy Elliot the Musical.” Her television appearances include a guest role in “Law & Order” in 2000, playing P.K. Todd, and a recurring role as Estelle Harrington in “Coronation Street” from 2023 to 2024. Henshall has also served as a judge on the ITV1 show “Dancing on Ice” from 2008 to 2009. In 2012, she co-authored the book “So You Want to Be in Musicals?” with Daniel Bowling. Her most recent notable role includes playing Fosca in the revival of “Passion” at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester in 2022, and she is slated to join the West End revival of “Cabaret” as Fräulein Schneider in 2025.