Playing age: 31-35
Height: 5' 5''
Accent: East Anglian
Training: Laine Theatre Arts
Kerry is recognised as the leading lady of West End and Broadway musicals, with a number of starring roles in London, New York, and around the world. She has achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to Universal Decca with her debut album Anthems.
Kerry originated the role of Meat, in Queen’s We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the worldwide smash, Wicked, for which she won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award for ‘Best Takeover in a Role’.
She then headed to Broadway to play Elphaba at the Gershwin Theater for 6 months, where she won the Broadway.comAudience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance, before returning to London in the role for a further 6 months.
Her other leading role credits include Alice in Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland (UK Tour), Sara in Murder Ballad directed by Sam Yates (West End Premier), Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats (West End), Nancy in Oliver! (West End), Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (West End), Ellen in Miss Saigon (West End) and Fantine in Les Miserables (West End), amongst many others. Kerry also recently played her first ‘non-singing’ role as Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Erneston the UK Tour alongside Gwen Taylor.
Kerry’s first major CD release was Wicked in Rock, which is still flying high in Dress Circle’s bestseller list. Wicked in Rock was a collaboration with long-time friend and Queen guitarist Brian May. Kerry continued her long term working relationship with Brian with a tour of Europe in the summer of 2016 followed by the release of their new album Golden Days with Sony Music.
Kerry also co-writes and records with Broadway and Pop composer Frank Wildhorn.
Other performances include singing the National Anthem for the FA Cup final at Wembley, a sold out tour of Champions of Rock in Sweden, and playing Svetlana to critical acclaim in Chess at the Royal Albert Hall opposite Idina Menzel and Josh Groban (subsequently released on DVD and CD and screened on US network television), Thank You For The Music the BBC Radio 2 ABBA concert in Hyde Park, Night of 1000 Voices, and The Festival of Remembrance both at the Royal Albert Hall, she also headlined the BBC Proms in the Park 2010.
Kerry was involved in the Les Miserables feature film as well as headlining various festivals across the country, she also starred in the arena tour of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds alongside Jason Donavan and Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs. Kerry also toured with the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent playing the role of Mimi.
Kerry’s dream of performing her first solo concert at the London Palladium came true in May 2013. The concert was such a huge success that it led to a thirteen date tour across the UK finishing at The Cadogan Hall. The concert celebrated her theatre career to date, singing songs from all the roles she has created and played.
Kerry regularly performs all over the UK and the Globe often signing with other West End artists such as Ben Forster, Sophie Evans and Matt Cardle and will be making her debut in Japan in January 2019 as well as performing in Barcelona and on board the luxurious P&O Ventura for thousands of budding passengers.
As well as this Kerry has been a regular host on Encore Radio, a music station specialising in Musical Theatre.
Kerry's self-titled solo album is available now on itunes and from her own website www.kerryellis.com