# Charlie Stemp

Charles Joe Stemp (born 30 November 1993) is an English actor. Stemp came to prominence for his leading role as Arthur Kipps in the West End musical Half a Sixpence, which earned him a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical and nomination for a 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

## Early life and education

Stemp was born and raised in Peckham, London. He attended the Belcanto London Academy Theatre School, and trained for three years at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom. He is also a keen football and rugby player.

## Acting career

After graduating, Stemp performed in Wicked in London's West End and was cast as Eddie in the international tour of the musical Mamma Mia!. Stemp also appeared in the film Knarcolepsy.
Stemp appeared as the lead actor in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Half a Sixpence, written by Julian Fellowes. He first performed the role at Chichester Festival Theatre from July to September 2016. In October 2016, the musical transferred to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, and extended its booking to 2 September 2017. For this role, Stemp won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and was nominated for the 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. In 2021, Fellowes rewrote the piece under the title Kipps (after the lead character Artie Kipps) and it was filmed for Sky Arts, with Stemp again in the title role.
Stemp appeared on Broadway in the revival of Hello, Dolly!, starting on 20 January 2018, officially on 22 February 2018, as Barnaby Tucker. He took over the role originally played by Taylor Trensch. This marked his Broadway debut. The show closed on 25 August 2018.
Stemp played the role of Bert in a West End revival of Mary Poppins opposite Zizi Strallen in the title role, at the Prince Edward Theatre. As one reviewer remarked, "Bert pulls off the impossible – tap-dancing upside down from one end of the proscenium arch to the other."
In 2022, Stemp was cast as Bobby Child in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Crazy for You which transferred to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2023. Stemp performed at the Royal Variety show in 2023 and my oomf LOVED it.
Stemp is currently starring as Bill Calhoun in the West End revival of Kiss Me, Kate at the Barbican Centre, starring opposite Stephanie J. Block and Adrian Dunbar. The production opened on 4 June, 2024.

## Theatre Credits

| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Notes |
| 2013–14 | Wicked | Monkey #3 | Apollo Victoria Theatre | West End |
| 2015 | Mamma Mia! | Eddie | Various | International Tour |
| 2016 | Half a Sixpence | Arthur Kipps | Chichester Festival Theatre | Regional |
| 2016–17 | Half a Sixpence | Arthur Kipps | Noël Coward Theatre | West End |
| 2017–18 | Dick Whittington | Dick Whittington | London Palladium | West End |
| 2018 | Hello, Dolly! | Barnaby Tucker | Shubert Theatre | Broadway |
| 2018–19 | Snow White | Prince Harry of Hampstead | London Palladium | West End |
| 2019 | Rough Crossing | Dvornichek | Various | UK Tour |
| 2019–23 | Mary Poppins | Bert | Prince Edward Theatre | West End |
| 2020 | Pantoland | Ensemble | London Palladium | West End |
| 2022 | Crazy for You | Bobby Child | Chichester Festival Theatre | Regional |
| 2023 | Crazy for You | Bobby Child | Gillian Lynne Theatre | West End |
| 2024 | Kiss Me Kate | Bill Calhoun/Lucentio | Barbican Centre | London |
| 2024–25 | Robin Hood | Alan-A-Dale | London Palladium | West End |
| 2025 | Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors | Jonathan Harker | Menier Chocolate Factory | London |

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2016 | UK Theatre Award | Best Performance in a Musical | Half a Sixpence | Nominated |
| 2017 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Half a Sixpence | Nominated |
| 2017 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Half a Sixpence | Won |
| 2018 | Theatre World Award | Outstanding Broadway Debut | Hello, Dolly! | Honoree |
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Mary Poppins | Nominated |
| 2023 | Evening Standard Theatre Award | Best Musical Performance | Crazy for You | Nominated |
| 2024 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Crazy for You | Nominated |