Leanne Rowe (born 1982) is an English actress and singer, known for portraying Nancy in '' Oliver Twist'', May Moss in ''

Lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

'' and Baby in '' Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage''.

Background

Rowe is from Brentwood, Essex. She has two older sisters and a brother. Rowe left school at the age of 16 to train as a dancer, attending

Laine Theatre Arts Laine Theatre Arts, sometimes referred to as Laines, is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974 by former professional dancer and dance teacher Betty Laine OBE, and ...

.Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage: Cast: Leanne Rowe
. Retrieved 23 July 2009. She graduated at the age of 19 with honours in musical theatre. Rowe also studied Drama, and after graduating, chose to pursue a career in acting instead of dance.

Career

Rowe made her film and professional debut at the age of 12, playing

Helen Burns Helen Burns (22 December 1916 – 23 July 2018) was a British actress mostly known for playing comedic roles. Burns is known for her performance in the 1993 production of '' The Last Yankee'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, for which she won a ...

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

's ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

''. In 2005 she was chosen by

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

to play Nancy in his adaptation of '' Oliver Twist''. Her television credits include '' Boudica'', ''

The Famous Five ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...

'' and '' Where the Heart Is''. She also played the lead role of May Moss in the

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

-set

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

drama ''

''. Rowe's

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

work includes ''Avoid London'', ''Loving'', ''Forget Me Not'', ''One Chord Wonders'', '' Roald Dahl's The Witches'' and ''To Sir with Love''. Rowe made her West End debut in '' Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage'', playing the lead role of Frances 'Baby' Houseman. In 2009 she appeared in the revival of

Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...

's '' Talent'' at the

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Boro ...

, playing Julie.

Filmography

Television

Film

Theatre

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowe, Leanne People from Brentwood, Essex English television actresses English musical theatre actresses English film actresses English radio actresses 1982 births Living people