Irish actor and singer Sarah O’Connor has thrilled West End audiences in the likes of The Commitments, Les Miserables, and Mamma Mia! She is currently understudying two of the leading roles in Waitress, the hit US musical that opened at the Adelphi Theatre in 2019. In her native Ireland, she came to prominence when she finished runner-up in Fame: The Musical, an RTE talent show that sought to find fresh talent to star in a major Irish tour of the legendary musical.

Born and raised in Dublin, O’Connor initially trained at the city’s WestSide Stage School but eventually moved to London after winning a scholarship. She completed her studies in Musical Theatre at CPA Studios in Romley, Essex. One of her first major theatre roles after her appearance on Fame was playing Snow White in a production of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. This was followed by taking on the role of Daisy in Bluebirds at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford and touring with productions of Mistress and Celtic Angels.

O’Connor understudied the role of Eponine in the long-running West End production of Les Miserables, but her real breakthrough came in 2013 when she originated the role of Imelda Quirke in the first West End musical production of the classic Irish novel and film The Commitments. This was followed by taking on the part of the Mistress in a successful UK tour of Evita: The Musical. O’Connor was due to make her debut as a solo singer during 2020, but this has been delayed due to the pandemic. For audiences, it will surely be worth the wait.