Caroline Sheen

Caroline Sheen
Born	Caroline Sheen 1975 Caerleon, Newport, Wales
Occupation	Stage actress and singer
Spouse(s)	Michael Jibson
Relatives	Michael Sheen, cousin

Caroline Sheen (born 1975) is a Welsh actress who has played various roles on stage in the West End and at other venues across London and the UK. She played the role of Mary Poppins on the First National Tour of America. She appeared as Fantine in Les Misérables alongside Ramin Karimloo and Hadley Fraser, and appears in the film version as well.

Background

Born and raised in South Wales, Sheen is the cousin of actor Michael Sheen.^[1] In 2008 she married fellow actor Michael Jibson. A member of the National Youth Theatre of Wales and Gwent Young People's Theatre, she graduated with first class honours from Guildford School of Acting.^[2]

Career

Sheen made her West End debut as Marty in Grease^[3] at the Cambridge Theatre. She went on to play Florinda in Into the Woods^[3] at the Donmar Warehouse and then went into the original cast of Mamma Mia!^[3] at the Prince Edward Theatre, understudying the lead role of Sophie. She created the role of Jennifer Gabriel in the world premiere production of The Witches of Eastwick^[3] at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Other West End credits include Eponine in Les Misérables^[4] at the Palace Theatre, Sandy in Grease at the Victoria Palace, and Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ^[5] at the London Palladium.

Work at the National Theatre includes Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum^[6]', Susan Walker in Once in a Lifetime^[7] Sheen originated the role of Carrie in Three Sides^[8] at the Finborough theatre and also performed the role when the musical went to New York as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2006.^[9] She returned to the Finborough to perform in Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns, after making her pantomime debut as Alice Fitzwarren in the Barbican's production of Dick Whittington.^[10] Other recent theatre work was in the Minerva theatre in Chichester in If Love Were All. In 2008 Caroline played Mary Poppins in the UK Tour of the Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production. She played the role in Plymouth, Birmingham and Edinburgh, before passing the role onto Lisa O'Hare. In the May 2009 Caroline created the role of Clara Johnson in the European Premiere of The Light in the Piazza at Curve Theatre in Leicester. Starting in February 2010, Sheen reprised the role as Mary Poppins in the US National Tour of the musical, starring alongside Gavin Lee and Nichols Dromard as Bert. She played the role until February 2011. For this role she won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident Production.^[11]

TV work includes episodes of Hotel Babylon, Doctors and Torchwood all for the BBC. Caroline also played the part of Elizabeth of York in the Channel 4 TV documentary; Henry VIII, Mind of a Tyrant.

Recordings

In February 2010 Caroline released her debut Album Raise the Curtain, a compelling selection of songs by leading contemporary musical theatre writers from Britain and America; featuring 5 previously unrecorded songs, including a cut song from The Witches Of Eastwick; alongside songs from The Light in the Piazza, Just So, Grey Gardens, and Mary Poppins; with a special album foreword by journalist and theatre critic Mark Shenton.

Track Listing

1. Carrie Makes A Decision by Grant Olding *

2. A Part Of Me by Maltby & Shire

3. Isn't This What Every Woman Wants? by Dempsey & Rowe *

4. Higher by Richard Taylor *

5. Will You? by Frankel & Korie

6. What Did You Want From Love? by Conor Mitchell *

7. I Lay My Armor Down by Stitt & Greenberg

8. Wait A Bit by Stiles & Drewe

9. Mr Hopalong Heartbreak by Jason Robert Brown

10. Miss Hardcastle's Wedding by Goodall & Hart *

11. The Light In The Piazza by Adam Guettel

12. Anything Can Happen by Stiles & Drewe

Bonus Track: Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True by David Yazbek – duet with Michael Jibson

• Previously unrecorded

'Raise The Curtain' can be purchased on-line at www.CarolineSheen.com, on iTunes, cdbaby and on Amazon.

Sheen can also be heard on the original cast recordings of Mamma Mia!, The Witches of Eastwick, Rosemary Ashe's album Serious Cabaret and A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe.

Other performances

Sheen was a guest soloist in the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre. Other solo concert work includes Night of a Thousand Voices at the Royal Albert Hall, Michael Ball and Friends at the Royal Opera House, An Evening with Jason Robert Brown, and Georgia Stitt and Friends. Most recently she appeared alongside fellow Mary Poppins actresses Lisa O'Hare and Scarlett Strallen in A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe singing a specially devised version of "Practically Perfect".^[12]

References