Katie Brayben

Katie Brayben (born 3 September) is an English actress and musician who has performed in stage plays, television and musicals and also as a singer and songwriter with her own music. She is presently best known for her portrayal of the title role of Carole King in the London production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards. She won her second Olivier award in the same category at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance as the title role in Tammy Faye.

Biography

Brayben is an English actress, singer and musician who also performs as an original songwriter playing piano and guitar.[1][2] Born Katie Burke, her parents being London blues-based performers Mick (Mike) Burke and Frances (Fran) McGillivray, she was raised in a musical household in the London borough of Lewisham;[3] her sister Jo Burke is also a folk music performer (singer and violinist).[4] She studied at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2003.[1][5] In an interview, she has stated that she chose to use a different surname than her birth name for her professional career to avoid potential confusion with the already established London born actress Kathy Burke.[6]

She made her West End debut when she took over the lead role of Sophie in the 10th anniversary production of Mamma Mia! and later starred opposite Matt Smith in the American Psycho musical. In 2014 she joined the production of Mike Bartlett's King Charles III playing Princess Diana, and moved with the show when it transferred from the Almeida Theatre to the West End. In 2015 when that show moved to Broadway, she took on the title role of Carole King in the London production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.[7] Her performance won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[8]

2022 saw Katie Brayben re-team with American Psycho and King Charles III director Rupert Goold at the Almeida for the new biographic stage musical Tammy Faye.[9] With Brayben in the title role of the queer icon, the show explored her life with lyrics by Jake Shears and music by Sir Elton John. The production would go on to receive four nominations at this year's Laurence Olivier Awards,[10] where Katie would receive her second Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[10] Brayben reprised the role for the show's short-lived transfer to Broadway in 2024.[11]

In the summer of 2025, she revisited her role in Girl from the North Country during a limited engagement run at the The Old Vic.[12] She played the Baker's Wife in the Bridge Theatre's production of Into the Woods later that year, which would earn her another Olivier nomination for Best Actress.[13][14]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Vera Sally Episode - "Changing Tides"
2017 Doctor Who Ellie Episode - "Oxygen"
King Charles III Diana, Princess of Wales TV movie
2019 Luther Penny Leyton 2 Episodes
A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Lou Farnt also Associate Producer
2021, 2025 The Wheel of Time Latra Posae Decume 2 episodes
2022 Miss Scarlet and The Duke Alice Lee Episode - "Pandora's Box"
2023 Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Lady Vivian Ledger 2 episodes

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others Lyric Hammersmith
2006-2007 Mamma Mia! Sophie UK Tour
2009 Mamma Mia (10th Anniversary) Sophie West End
2011 Company April Southwark Playhouse
2012 Ragtime Evelyn Nesbitt Regent's Park Open Air Theatre[15]
2013–14 American Psycho Courtney Lawrence Almeida Theatre
2014 King Charles III Diana, Princess of Wales Almeida Theatre / West End
2015 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King Aldwych Theatre
2015 The Iliad Almeida Theatre
2016 My Mother Said I Never Should Jackie St. James Theatre
2016 The Spoils Sarah Trafalgar Studios
2018 A Walk on the Moon Pearl Kantrowitz American Conservatory Theater[16]
2018 Honour Claudia The Park Theatre
2019 Girl from the North Country Elizabeth Laine Gielgud Theatre
2020 Nine Lessons and Carols: stories for a long winter Almeida Theatre
2022 Tammy Faye Tammy Faye Almeida Theatre
2024 Palace Theatre
2025 Girl from the North Country Elizabeth Laine The Old Vic
2025-26 Into the Woods The Baker's Wife Bridge Theatre

References

  1. ^ a b "CDA London: Katie Brayben" (PDF). Cdalondon.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Katie Brayben". Thegooseisout.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Katie Brayben: 'You have to make it known if you want a certain role'". Thestage.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Jo Burke". Joburkemusic.com. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. ^ Smith, Reiss (10 May 2017). "Who is Katie Brayben, the actress who plays Princess Diana's ghost in King Charles III?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  6. ^ Underwood, Kitty (12 December 2019). "Tell Us In 10: Katie Brayben". officiallondontheatre.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Katie Brayben cast as Carole King in Beautiful". Whatsonstage.com. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Katie Brayben is Best Actress in a Musical | Official London Theatre". Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Tammy Faye". Almeida Theatre. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Olivier awards 2023: full list of winners". The Guardian. 2 April 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  11. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "New Musical TAMMY FAYE is Coming to Broadway During 2024-25 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  12. ^ Gumushan, Tanyel. "Company for Girl from the North Country's return to the Old Vic confirmed". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  13. ^ Gumushan, Tanyel. "Into the Woods revival reveals complete casting". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  14. ^ Wiegand, Chris (5 March 2026). "Paddington and Into the Woods up for 11 Olivier awards each". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Ragtime the Musical". Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  16. ^ Vine, Hannah (13 June 2018). "See Katie Brayben and Jonah Platt in A Walk on the Moon". Playbill.com. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
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