Helen Owen (born 1 May 1980) is an English theatre actor known for her roles in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'', '' Mamma Mia'' and '' The Wizard of Oz''. She is married to actor

Thomas Aldridge Thomas Aldridge, also known as Tom Aldridge, is an English television and theatre actor. He is best known for playing Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London's West End. He is married to West End actress Helen Owen. Early ...

Early life

Born in Rochdale, England, Owen went to school at Oulder Hill Academy home of the Gracie Fields Theatre. After making an early professional debut in Manchester based drama '' City Central'', Owen attended Blackpool College studying Performing Arts. She then went on to start a degree in music at Lancaster University. Leaving early, she then played Michelle in the original pilot for ''

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' is a British sitcom that ran from 26 February 2001 to 24 May 2011. First broadcast on BBC Two, it starred Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey, Ralf Little, Kathryn Drysdale and Luke Gell. ...

'' before moving to London to study Musical Theatre at

Guildford School of Acting Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is a drama school in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an academic school in the University of Surrey. It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools The Federation of Drama Schools functions to facilitate ...

Career

Immediately after graduating in 2003, Owen made her West End debut in the London cast of '' Mamma Mia'' at the

Prince Edward Theatre The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc ...

. In 2005 she played the role of Dorothy in the RSC production of '' The Wizard of Oz'' at the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

, a role she reprised in the same production at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2006. Later that year Owen appeared in three productions at the

Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'', ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' and '' The Boyfriend''. It was here that she met actor

who she later went on to marry in 2012. In 2007 she returned to her home town of Rochdale to play Cinderella at the Gracie Fields Theatre. The following year she was cast in the London production of ''

'' at the Queens Theatre. Over the following seven years, she went on to play the role of Eponine over 400 times as well as

Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an u ...

and made ''Les Misérables'' history by becoming the longest consecutive serving female in its history worldwide.http://www.londonmusicalsonline.com/performer.php?PerfID=helowe, Londonmusiclas Online: Helen Owen

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Helen Living people 1980 births English stage actresses 21st-century English actresses