| Biography | Hannah Waddingham is an English actress and singer. Born 1974, in Wandsworth in London, she credits her mothers family as her introduction to performing - her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer, as were both her maternal grandparents. She is best known for her contribution to West End musical theatre, particularly her performances in the original London production of Spamalot, A Little Night Music, Into The Woods, and most recently, The Wizard of Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West. She has received three Olivier Award nominations for her work. She has also had a successful film and television career. In 2015 she joined the cast of the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones as Septa Unella.
Waddingham has had a successful career in the London theatre, including her portrayal of Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec.
However, it is for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (a role she originated in London) and continued on Broadway,for which she is best known, and for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for her efforts. She received outstanding reviews for her portrayal of Desirée Armfeldt in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed revival of A Little Night Music, including being described by one critic as the "Joanna Lumley of musical theatre".[3] Waddingham subsequently received a further Olivier Award nomination in 2010 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Night Music.
In mid-2010, Waddingham played the Witch in the critically acclaimed production of Into the Woods at London's Open Air Theatre.
She originated the role of The Wicked Witch of the West in the West End production of The Wizard of Oz, which opened on 1 March 2011 at the London Palladium. She left the production on 4 September 2011 and was replaced by her understudy, Marianne Benedict. Waddingham won the whatsonstage.com Theatergoers Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance.[
In 2012, Waddingham starred in Chichester Festival Theatre's 2012 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.[10] The show transferred to the Old Vic Theatre on London's South Bank in November 2012 |