Hannah Waddingham
Encyclopedia
Hannah Waddingham is an English
actress and singer. She is best known for her contribution to West End
theatre, particularly her original performance in Spamalot
and in A Little Night Music
. She has also had a successful screen career.
's Lautrec
, for which she won two Musical Theatre awards (for Best Actress and Best Newcomer). Other theatre credits include Christine Warner in The Beautiful Game
(Cambridge Theatre
), Satan in Rod Stewart
's Tonight's The Night
(Victoria Palace Theatre
), Rizzo in Grease
(Victoria Palace Theatre) and the Witch in Into the Woods
(Open Air Theatre
).
However, it is for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot
(a role she originated in London) for which she is best known, and received an Olivier Award nomination for her efforts. She also sparked controversy when she made comments about the lack of wins for the show at that year's ceremony.
She was given good reviews for her portrayal of Desiree Armfelt in Trevor Nunn
's production of A Little Night Music
. In a review, she was termed the "Joanna Lumley
of musical theatre".
Hannah subsequently received a further Olivier nomination in 2010 as best actress in a musical or entertainment for her performance in A Little Night Music.
She recently originated the role of The Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch to critical acclaim, in the new West End
production of The Wizard of Oz
, which opened on March 1, 2011 at the London Palladium
. She left the production on September 4, 2011 and was replaced by her understudy, Marianne Benedict.
in October 2000, where it peaked at #41.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress and singer. She is best known for her contribution to West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
theatre, particularly her original performance in Spamalot
Spamalot
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
and in A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
. She has also had a successful screen career.
West End
Waddingham has had a successful career in the London theatre, especially for her portrayal of Suzanne Valadon in Charles AznavourCharles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
's Lautrec
Lautrec
Lautrec is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.- Demography :-Remarkable sites:Lautrec is listed among "The Most Beautiful Villages of France" as well as a "Remarkable Site for Taste" thanks to its renowned pink garlic...
, for which she won two Musical Theatre awards (for Best Actress and Best Newcomer). Other theatre credits include Christine Warner in The Beautiful Game
The Beautiful Game
The phrase "The Beautiful Game" is a synonym for Association Football. The origin or individual who coined the phrase is unknown and it is difficult to verify. Football commentator Stuart Hall is the only individual to have claimed to have created "The Beautiful Game"...
(Cambridge Theatre
Cambridge Theatre
The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929-30. It was designed by Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie; interior partly by Serge Chermayeff, with interior bronze friezes by sculptor Anthony Gibbons...
), Satan in Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's Tonight's The Night
Tonight's The Night (2003 musical)
Tonight's the Night is a "compilation musical" by comedian Ben Elton, based on the music of Rod Stewart. It opened in October 2003 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, and ran for just over a year...
(Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
), Rizzo in Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
(Victoria Palace Theatre) and the Witch in Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
(Open Air Theatre
Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, in the City of Westminster, London, is a permanent venue with an annual sixteen-week summer season. It was founded in 1932 by Sydney Carroll and Robert Atkins.-The theatre:...
).
However, it is for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot
Spamalot
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
(a role she originated in London) for which she is best known, and received an Olivier Award nomination for her efforts. She also sparked controversy when she made comments about the lack of wins for the show at that year's ceremony.
She was given good reviews for her portrayal of Desiree Armfelt in Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
's production of A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
. In a review, she was termed the "Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
of musical theatre".
Hannah subsequently received a further Olivier nomination in 2010 as best actress in a musical or entertainment for her performance in A Little Night Music.
She recently originated the role of The Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch to critical acclaim, in the new West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)
The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
, which opened on March 1, 2011 at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. She left the production on September 4, 2011 and was replaced by her understudy, Marianne Benedict.
Screen
Waddingham's screen credits include:- My Family TV Series (2011 / 2 episodes) - Katie
- Not Going OutNot Going OutNot Going Out is a British television sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2006. Starring Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Sally Bretton, Miranda Hart and Katy Wix, it was initially written by Mack, Andrew Collins, Paul Kerensa, Simon Evans and Peter Tilbury, but now features contributions from other...
TV series (2011) - Jane - Agatha Christie's Marple TV series (2011) - Lola Brewster
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate PeopleHow to Lose Friends & Alienate People (film)How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a 2008 British comedy film based upon British writer Toby Young's 2001 memoir of the same name. The film follows a similar storyline, about his five year struggle to make it in the United States after employment at Sharps Magazine...
film (2008) - Elizabeth Maddox - Doctors TV series (2008) - Dixie Deadman
- The Only Boy for Me TV film (2006) - Melissa
- My Hero TV series (2003 and 2006) - Lula / Miranda / Thermowoman
- Hollyoaks: Let Loose TV series (2005) - Mrs. Robertson
- Footballers' WivesFootballers' WivesFootballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
TV series (2005) - Jools - William and MaryWilliam and Mary (TV series)William and Mary is an ITV Scotland-based romantic comedy drama, starring Martin Clunes as William Shawcross, an undertaker, and Julie Graham as Mary Gilcrest, a midwife. Its title refers to its two principal characters and is a cultural reference to the reign of the English monarchs William and...
TV series (2005) - Penelope - CouplingCoupling (UK TV series)Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
TV series (2002) - Jenny Turbot
Recordings
Billed simply as Hannah, she placed "Our Kind of Love" in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in October 2000, where it peaked at #41.