Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen (born 1 November 1990), known professionally as Zizi Strallen, is a British actress, singer and dancer best known for playing Mary Poppins in the Cameron Mackintosh theatrical production of Mary Poppins.[3]
Zizi Strallen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen 1 November 1990[1] London, England |
| Education | The Arts Educational Schools London[2] |
| Alma mater | London Studio Centre |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, dancer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Relatives |
|
Personal life
editShe has three sisters, Scarlett Strallen, Summer Strallen and Saskia Strallen, all of whom are actresses. Her sister Scarlett also previously played Mary Poppins during the Broadway, West End and Sydney production of Mary Poppins.[4] She is the daughter of Sandy Strallen and Cherida Langford.[5] She is also the niece of Broadway and television actress Bonnie Langford.[6]
Career
editStrallen appeared Off West End in the Menier Chocolate Factory production of Merrily We Roll Along as Meg Kincaid in 2013.[7]
In 2015, Strallen performed the role of Lana in Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, for which she won Outstanding Female Performance (Modern) at the National Dance Awards.[8]
Strallen played the role of Young Phyllis in Follies in the West End at the National Theatre from September 2017 to November 2017.[9][10]
She appeared as Fran in the musical Strictly Ballroom in the West End in March 2018 at the Piccadilly Theatre. The Standard reviewer wrote: "The best news, by far, is Strallen, who exudes a lightness and brightness even when a mere face in the dance studio crowd early on. Her acting and dancing is impeccable..."[11][12]
Strallen starred in the title role in the West End revival of Mary Poppins, which premiered in autumn of 2019 at the Prince Edward Theatre.[13] She had previously played the role of Mary Poppins in the UK and Ireland tour of the musical starting in October 2015.[14]
Strallen appeared in the 2019 fantasy film Cats as Tantomile.[15]
Strallen also played the role of "Q" in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Rock Follies in August 2023.
Most recently she’s appeared in concert productions of Sunset Boulevard as Betty (2021) and is set to appear in a concert of Oklahoma! as Laurey (2024).[16]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Snow Queen | Polly | Voice |
| 1997 | The Ugly Duckling | Little Rabbit | |
| 2013 | Merrily We Roll Along | Meg Kincaid | Filmed live performance |
| 2015 | Cinderella | Ball Guest | Uncredited |
| 2016 | The Car Man | Lana | Filmed live performance |
| 2017 | National Theatre Live: Follies | Young Phyllis | |
| 2019 | Cats | Tantomile |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Bramwell | Molly Marsham | Episode #2.3 |
| 1996 | The Prince and the Pauper | Margery | Episode #1.4 |
| 2001 | Victoria & Albert | Princess Vicky | Miniseries |
| 2002 | Dinotopia | Little Girl | |
| 2015 | The Royal Variety Performance 2015 | Mary Poppins | Television special |
| 2022 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Mary Poppins | Episode #18.2 |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rock of Ages | Ensemble | West End |
| 2012-2013 | Merrily We Roll Along | Meg | Off-West End |
| 2013 | West End | ||
| 2014-2015 | Cats | Demeter | |
| 2015-2017 | Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins | UK Tour |
| 2018 | Follies | Young Phyllis | Olivier Theatre |
| 2019-2022 | Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins | West End |
| 2021 | Sunset Boulevard | Betty Schaefer | Off-West End |
| Royal Albert Hall | |||
| 2024 | Pippin | Fastrada | West End |
| Oklahoma! | Laurey Williams |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Mary Poppins | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated | [17] |
| Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated | [18] |
References
edit- ^ "Zizi Strallen". IMDb. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "Mary Poppins star Zizi Strallen tells of family's showbiz roots". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ “How Mary Poppins has changed for the stage“. BBC News (15 November 2019). Retrieved 18 November 2019
- ^ "Zizi Strallen to play Mary Poppins on tour". The Stage. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "Zizi Strallen is following in footsteps of parents who both appeared in original Cats". Herald Express. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Bonnie Langford to return to Broadway - Daily Telegraph
- ^ Merrily We Roll Along menierchocolatefactory.com, retrieved 27 December 2018
- ^ "National Dance Awards are announced". Sadler's Wells Blog. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ Follies broadwayworld.com, retrieved 26 December 2018
- ^ Billington, Michael. " 'Follies' review – Sondheim's showbiz stunner returns in breathtaking style" The Guardian, 6 September 2017
- ^ Mountford, Fiona. " 'Strictly Ballroom' Review" Standard, 25 April 2018
- ^ Wolf, Matt. "London Star Zizi Strallen on Kicking Up Her Heels in 'Strictly Ballroom', Giving Away Her Eyelashes & More" broadway.com, 19 March 2018
- ^ Hemley, Matthew. "Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp to star in 'Mary Poppins' revival" The Stage, 14 September 2018
- ^ "Mary Poppins Cast Announced" curveonline.co.uk, retrieved 26 December 2018
- ^ "Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift and James Corden to star in Cats musical film | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Zizi Strallen AboutTheArtists
- ^ "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard - Theatre's Biggest Night". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
