Rosie Sheehy
Rosie Sheehy is a Welsh stage and screen actor, known for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, The Old Vic and for her critically acclaimed performances in London theatre. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she has been recognised for her emotional range in both classical and contemporary roles. Sheehy received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance as the Young Woman in Machinal at the Old Vic in 2024.
Early life and education
Sheehy was born and raised in Port Talbot, Wales, a community noted for its vibrant theatrical lineage and for nurturing several prominent performers. She has acknowledged the town's artistic identity as formative in her development as an actor. She later trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.Career
Stage
Sheehy has performed extensively on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and leading London theatres.She made her London stage debut in The Hairy Ape, playing Mildred, directed by Richard Jones. She went on to appear in Uncle Vanya at Theatr Clwyd and Sheffield Theatre as Sonya, a performance that won the Best Female Performance in the English Language Award at the Wales Theatre Awards.
Other notable stage performances include:The Wolves — 13, directed by Ellen McDougallBird — Tash, directed by Rachel O’RiordanAnna X — Anna, directed by Daniel RaggettOleanna — Carol, directed by Lucy BaileyKing John — King John, directed by Eleanor RhodeAll's Well That Ends Well — Helena, directed by Blanche McIntyre, nominated for the Ian Charleson Awards 2023Richard III — Lady Anne, directed by Greg Doran, nominated for the Ian Charleson Awards 2023A Midsummer Night's Dream — Puck, directed by Eleanor RhodeRomeo and Julie — Julie, directed by Rachel O’Riordan, nominated for Breakthrough Artist, South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2023Machinal — Young Woman, directed by Richard Jones, nominated for Best Actress at the 2025 Olivier AwardsAn Interrogation — Ruth Palmer, directed by Jamie ArmitageThe Brightening Air — Billie, directed by Conor McPherson
Reception
Critics have widely praised Sheehy's performance in Machinal. Time Out described her work as "astonishing," noting how she "nails a different aspect of alienation … her feral screams … become increasingly incapable of suppressing her disgust."The Reviews Hub wrote: “Rosie Sheehy gives a towering central performance that will be talked about for decades.”
In The Guardian, Arifa Akbar wrote that she "cements her reputation as an astounding stage talent."
Reviewing the transfer to London, The Standard called her "gobsmacking," adding that "once in a while a … lead performance comes along which makes theatre history."
For The Brightening Air, critics again singled her out. Time Out described the play as "a bittersweet drama … Sheehy’s tough but intensely vulnerable Billie … it will be decades before the world is ready for her."
Financial Times praised her as "outstanding as Billie, whose frankness makes her both vulnerable and insightful, and who is … the anchor of the play."
The Standard noted: “Rosie Sheehy … adds to her unbroken run of transfixingly vivid roles … She gives the character … a twitchily unpredictable conviction.”