Claire Machin | |
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Born | Stoke-on-Trent |
Alma mater | Sylvia Young Theatre School |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1988–present |
Claire Machin is a British actress, best known for her work in Musical Theatre.
At the age of 16, Claire trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School, taking part in an adult drama course. Through the 90's and early 00's she appeared in ensemble of several major West End shows including roles in Les Misérables, Oliver! and My Fair Lady. She took part in workshops for the stage adaptation of Mary Poppins and in 2004 was part of the original cast playing the role of Miss Brill, for which she appears on the Original London Cast Recording.
In 2009, Claire played Mamie Eisenhower in the UK professional premiere of First Lady Suite by Michael John LaChiusa, with the Whatsonstage.com review describing her performance as "particularly memorable".
In 2013, Claire played the role of Mabel in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of The Pajama Game. The production then transferred to the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre from May to September 2014. In 2014, Claire originated the role of Gladys in the West End production of Memphis, for which she was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.
In 2016, Claire played the role of Alice Beane in Titanic at the Charing Cross Theatre. She received great acclaim for this role, with reviews describing her as a "standout" and "firm audience favourite".
In 2017, Claire played the role of Cora in the West End production of The Girls, a role which she had previously played when the production first premiered at the Grand Theatre, Leeds and The Lowry, Salford. For this role she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical alongside fellow cast members Joanna Riding, Claire Moore, Sophie-Louise Dann, Debbie Chazen and Michelle Dotrice.