Ruthie Henshall trained at Laine Theatre Arts before making her professional debut in A Chorus Line. Her West End debut came in Cats, where she played Jemima, Demeter, Jellylorum, Griddlebone and Grizabella. She joined the world premiere cast of Miss Saigon, later taking over the role of Ellen and playing the role on Broadway.
In 1991 she created the role of Aphra in Children of Eden, before appearances at Chichester Festival Theatre. She then took over as Fantine in the West End production of Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre — a role she later reprised at the show’s celebrated tenth-anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall, filmed for television.
Her breakthrough came in Crazy for You at the Prince Edward Theatre, earning her first Olivier nomination. She followed it as Nancy in Oliver! at the London Palladium, before starring in She Loves Me at the Savoy Theatre — the performance that won her the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1995.
Ruthie originated the role of Roxie Hart in the original London company of the Chicago revival, earning her third Olivier nomination and being voted Most Popular Musical Actress of the past 25 years by Theatregoers. She then played Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway. She also starred on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together, a performance that was filmed for television. In 2018, she became the only British actress to have played all three leading female roles in Chicago when she played Mama Morton in the West End.
After three years in New York, she returned to London for Peggy Sue Got Married (fourth Olivier nomination) and toured the UK in Fosse, before Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White. She created the title role in Marguerite, a new musical by the creators of Les Misérables and Oscar-winner Michel Legrand, earning her fifth Olivier nomination.
She starred as Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End for two years (2014–2016). Billy Elliot was recorded for DVD and streaming release.
In concert, Ruthie has toured the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and China. Television credits include Coronation Street (ITV), The Case (BBC), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Law & Order, Dancing on Ice (judge) and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
Recordings include the solo albums Love Is Here to Stay: Ruthie Henshall Sings Gershwin (1993), The Ruthie Henshall Album (1998), Pilgrim (2001) and I’ve Loved These Days (2013).
In 2023, Ruthie played Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street in London, Toronto and Leicester. In September 2025, she joined the acclaimed West End revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club as Fräulein Schneider.
Her memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince, is currently available.