Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at Laine Theatre Arts from the age of 16.
Ellis made her first professional stage appearance in 1998 and went on to make her West End debut in the 2001 revival of My Fair Lady as an understudy for the role of Eliza Doolittle. In 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in musicals Les Misérables, Wicked, Oliver! and Cats as well as appearing in national tours and concert productions of musicals like Miss Saigon, Chess, The War of the Worlds, RENT, and Anything Goes. Ellis, who has received several awards and nominations for her performances, has become recognised as the First Lady of West End musicals. She has also worked sporadically in film and television.
After meeting Queen guitarist Brian May in 2002, Ellis expanded her repertoire as a solo artist. She has released four studio albums Anthems, which reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, the self-titled Kerry Ellis, Golden Days and Feels Like Home as well as an extended play Wicked in Rock and a live album Acoustic by Candlelight. Ellis also appears as a featured artist on several other albums. Ellis has performed in concerts across the world in addition to headlining solo concert tours like Anthems: The Tour and The Born Free Tour.
In addition to her musical work, Ellis involves herself in charity work for the Born Free Foundation with May and is the patron of several arts organisations. In 2019, Ellis received an honorary fellowship from the University of Suffolk.
Early life and training
Kerry Jane Ellis was born on 6 May 1979 in Haughley, near Stowmarket, in Suffolk, the daughter of Sandra Ann Reed and Terry John Ellis. Describing herself as a hyperactive young girl, she attended dance classes at the Ann Holland School of Theatre Dance and performed in local shows and pantomimes whilst also enjoying swimming and horse-riding. Her first stage role was in The Wizard of Oz at the Wolsey Theatre in nearby Ipswich where she played a Munchkin at the age of 9. After a successful audition, she also spent the summer of 1990 with the National Youth Music Theatre.When her parents took her to see the West End production of Les Misérables for her thirteenth birthday, "that's when I knew I wanted to be on the stage." Although she had not discovered her vocal ability until she was at college and had started working, Ellis cites her early influences as Liza Minnelli, Elaine Paige and Barbra Streisand; their music she would sing in her bedroom much to the disturbance of her older brother Andrew, now a keen fisherman. She has explained that fellow musical theatre actress Ruthie Henshall inspired her growing up: " was a success story from Suffolk … I think I identified with her because it was an actual story that I saw happen and was achievable. She was only a couple of years ahead of me and I could relate to her."
Whilst attending Stowmarket High School, she completed work experience with Starmakers, a company of holiday entertainers, at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea. She also spent the summers of 1995 and 1997 with the company to earn money by singing many of their cabaret shows. Having left school at 16, Ellis turned to Laine Theatre Arts, an independent performing arts college, where she spent three years to gain a national diploma in musical theatre. "It was an incredible three years where I learnt a great deal about myself, the industry and came away feeling part of something special," she remembers. Ellis was also in the same year as fellow musical theatre actress Louise Dearman. By the time she graduated in 1998, Ellis had appeared in a number of professional pantomimes for E&B productions including Dick Whittington and Aladdin across theatres in the UK as well as performing the title role in Cinderella at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea.
Career
Career beginnings and ''My Fair Lady'' (1998–2002)
Following her graduation, Ellis became first understudy to Marti Webb in a UK concert tour of The Magic of the Musicals in 1998, required on several occasions in Webb's absence, yet took a hiatus in 1999 to board cruise ship MS Voyager of the Seas, employed as lead vocalist in the ship's entertainment staff. After nine months travelling across The Caribbean, she left the ship in Los Angeles, spent three months travelling across the US until her visa ran out, and then returned to understudy in the UK concert tour. By November 1999, she had made her first television appearance on Children in Need for their special Pudsey the Musical and was featured in a jingle for Capital FM. Following this, she appeared as the title role in a Gary Griffin-directed workshop production titled Helen of Troy and played the role of Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.By late 2000, she had settled in her first property, a two-bedroom Brockley maisonette, and joined the original cast of Cameron Mackintosh's London revival of My Fair Lady, appointed swing and second of two understudies to Martine McCutcheon in the role of Eliza Doolittle after being scouted by agent Jonathan Greatorex. The musical initially played at the Lyttelton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre from 6 March 2001 to 20 June 2001 but later transferred to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with shows beginning 21 July 2001. Due to the illnesses of both McCutcheon and first understudy Alexandra Jay during the production's run at both theatres, Ellis starred as Eliza Doolittle opposite Jonathan Pryce and Dennis Waterman; her West End debut saw her taking on the lead role with only three hours preparation.
"Kerry been in rehearsals throughout the run but she didn't find out until late afternoon that she was going on. She was scared and excited but enjoyed it," said agent Greatorex with first understudy Jay adding, "She was fantastic. She probably showed me up" while Ellis concluded, "I was nervous but once I was on stage the nerves disappeared and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience." She played Eliza Doolittle on a total of five occasions and departed from the company in July 2002. "I have particularly fond memories of this, my first West End show, and the experience I gained from the cast and creatives was fantastic," she reflected. She also stated, "It was a great step up for me. It was important not just in the type of show it was but also in getting my face known."
''We Will Rock You'', ''Miss Saigon'' and ''Les Misérables'' (2002–2006)
During her run in My Fair Lady, Queen guitarist Brian May and music director Mike Dixon came to see the production. The first time, they saw Ellis perform in the ensemble; they returned for a second time at a performance where she was understudying the role of Eliza Doolittle and anonymously encouraged her to audition for the debut of their jukebox musical We Will Rock You. Ellis admitted at the time she had no idea it was May who was watching her; she found out at a later date. After seven auditions, she landed the role of Meat and got to sing the solo song "No-One but You ".She began performances on 14 May 2002 and was also involved in television appearances with the cast on Parkinson and at Party at the Palace. Ellis, who ended her run as Meat on 17 April 2004, is also featured on the original London cast recording of We Will Rock You. She stated that working with May, Elton and Roger Taylor was "a great step forward" in her professional career; calling her journey "breath-taking."
Particularly interested in working with her musically, May partnered with Ellis during her time in We Will Rock You to lay the foundations of her musical career. "From the moment I first heard Kerry sing, I was entranced, and felt the conviction that I would one day make an album for her. That conviction never left me," he professed. In 2002, they recorded an orchestral version of the song "No-One but You ". It was digitally released three years later. Whilst still in the production, Ellis also performed in one-off intimate gigs at London venues.
After leaving the show, she performed in a concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar as the female lead, Mary Magdalene, at Porchester Castle in June 2004 alongside other West End performers and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. She also played Eva Cassidy in a 2004 workshop production of Way Beyond Blue, a Trevor Nunn-directed and Imogen Stubbs-written piece, in addition to being cast as Ellen in a UK tour of Miss Saigon. She went into rehearsals for Miss Saigon at Sadler's Wells Theatre in Islington before performances commenced on 14 June 2004 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth. A BBC critic opined, "Although not on stage much, the brief moments with Ellen are emotional and compassionate as well as vocally beautiful."
Following this, Ellis got the role of Fantine in the West End production of Les Misérables. Ellis started rehearsals while still touring with Miss Saigon, and rehearsed for four weeks with the company before beginning the role of Fantine on 27 June 2005 at the Queen's Theatre alongside John Owen-Jones, Shonagh Daly, Shaun Escoffery and Hayden Tee. Ellis played Fantine for almost a year and ended her time with the company on 24 June 2006. Theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh professed that Ellis made an "outstanding" Fantine in addition to admitting his pleasure at seeing Ellis' career grow through roles in three of his productions and naming her a "great talent."