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Frances Ruffelle

Frances Ruffelle

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Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist.

From bursting into the public consciousness playing Éponine in Les Miserables, Frances Ruffelle’s distinctive sound has continued to delight her fans and captivate new audiences. She created the role of Éponine in Les Miserables at the RSC and in London’s West End transferring to Broadway where she recreated the role on Broadway for which she won the coveted Tony award, Helen Hayes award, Theatre World award and Outer Circle Critics award for her performance.

Frances hit the West End for the first time in Terence Rattigan’s play The Sleeping Prince, (with Omar Sharif). She then took part in the original workshop of Starlight Express and subsequently played the role of Dinah for Trevor Nunn in the show’s first ever cast. She also created the role of Yonah in the original West End production of Children of Eden directed by John Caird.

Although Frances is known for her performances on the stage she is also a film and TV actress. Her latest films are Devil’s Tower internationally released June 2013 and Les Miserables released January 2013

Further stage adventures have ranged from appearing with Ian Dury in Apples at the Royal Court in London to playing Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago.

Next year Frances is very much looking forward to playing the title role in Pam Gems play Piaf opening February at the Curve Theatre Leicester. Frances will also be touring the UK and the USA with her 5 star show Beneath the Dress. Dates to be announced.

Her multi-faceted career has also included four solo album Fragile, Frances Ruffelle, Showgirl and her latest solo album Imperfectly Me, which is imbued with her trademark sense of earthy realism rather than airbrushed perfection.

Blog Entries by Frances Ruffelle

You Can't Have an Orgasm Every Time You Walk on Stage

(0) Comments | Posted 14 March 2013 | (23:00)

You can't have an orgasm every time you walk on stage.

This line from the script is sitting with me. I think Piaf did give the audience everything every time she walked onto the stage. To play her and to be in the character I must do the same. This...

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Sun, Sea and Scripts

(0) Comments | Posted 3 February 2013 | (23:00)

Memorising words has become increasingly harder as the years go by. When I was young I only had to look at a page and I would know it.

I am about to embark on one of the most challenging roles of my life: playing Edith Piaf. A wonderful gift...

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Is 'Off' The New 'On' in the West End?

(1) Comments | Posted 10 January 2013 | (23:00)

Here in London, musical theatre lovers have been enjoying catching obscure musicals produced in small London playhouses. Such opportunities these days to go see shows you wished you could have seen on Broadway or shows that only had short runs here in London or in New York.

These suddenly...

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Hey Old Friend

(2) Comments | Posted 14 December 2012 | (10:54)

Between learning French lyrics (Piaf) and attending premiere of a French novel (Les Mis) I managed to get coveted tickets to see Stephen Sondheim's 'Merrily We Roll Along' at one of my favourite theatres in London, The Menier Chocolate Factory.

I invited Rebecca Caine, a friend of 27 years....

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Les Misérables: The Triumph That Almost Wasn't

(3) Comments | Posted 5 December 2012 | (23:00)

The Original Les Misérables Waif Frances Ruffelle Reveals the Secret of The World's Most Successful Musical.

It's incredible to look back after all these years to those days in 1985 spent in the Royal Shakespeare Company's gloomy rehearsal room 60 feet below sea level at the Barbican. Although we were...

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